I’m a sucker for crispy roasted potatoes. I’d happily make a meal out of them, with just a bit of salad or veg on the side. When they are cooked well, they are utterly satisfying, crispy and crunchy on the outside, creamy within, with little hits of salt throughout. These potatoes were peeled and cut in half lengthwise, but if your spuds are big, you can cut them into quarters. Over the years, I’ve tinkered endlessly with these potatoes and I’ve finally accepted that they must be boiled first, preferably in heavily salted water. While they boil, you can preheat the oven, with the baking pan in it, to 425°F. Once they are tender, drain the water and return them to the pan. Set it over low heat and shake gently to dry out the potatoes and rough up the edges for extra crunchy bits. Here you see Yukon Golds, but russets work too, although their texture is lighter and less creamy. As the potatoes dry, pull the hot pan out of the oven and add a generous amount of fat. You can use any flavorful fats you like here, but it must be at least 50% butter. This is important because potatoes roasted in butter stay crisp overnight in the refrigerator. They don’t turn into a leathery, unpleasant snack for those of us who like to eat these straight out of the fridge. So again, at least 50% and up to 100% butter in the pan. Here I’ve added an equal amount of bacon fat. Return the pan to the oven for a minute or two to melt the fat, and then pull it out and tip the potatoes into the hot pan. Season lightly with salt, turn them a few times to coat them with the fat, and put the pan back in the oven. After about 20 minutes, flip the potatoes. This is another seemingly excessive step that ensures you have potatoes that are equally brown on the top and bottom. It also stirs up the crunchy pieces floating around on the bottom of the pan and allows them to adhere to the larger pieces. Bake for another 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes and the heat of your oven, until they are a deep golden brown on the top and bottom. Feel free to flip them again after 20 minutes if you think they need it. Once the potatoes are browned to your liking, remove them from the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes. If you like, you may scatter whole herbs over the top as they rest, and their flavor will permeate the roasted potatoes. Discard the herbs before serving. This resting period ensures that your potatoes are hot and delicious rather than molten and dangerous when you serve them. Make lots because you will want leftovers.
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