Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The Best Way to Roast Potatoes


A potato is a cheap and simple thing, but when prepared just right it can produce intense euphoria. It is the ultimate comfort food.

This is the Andy Cleveland method of roasting taties. All the Cleveland boys LOVE roasted potatoes. You would not believe the mountains of them that have been consumed in just one meal. Andy once claimed that mine are as good as his, but only once and very quietly. I told him I learned from the master.

Use the russett potatoes--the oval floury ones. Peel them and chunk them up. The chunks can be any size you like, but they should all be in the same size range so they cook at the same rate.

Place your tatie chunks in a pan and put enough cold water to cover. Bring them to a boil until they are half-tender. You want the outside of the chunks to be tender to do the next thing! While the potatoes are boiling, pour a shallow puddle of oil (I like to use peanut oil because you can get it really hot) in a baking dish. Put the dish in the 450 degree oven and let the dish and oil heat up together.

Now drain the semi soft potatoes of all the water. Keeping them in the pan, shake the pan around until you see the taties have knocked together and gotten roughed up on the surface.

Carefully tip them into the hot baking dish and oil. Toss gently to coat with the oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary, or whatever herb tickles your taste buds.

Roast until they are crispy and golden, turning and shuffling them a time or two. This will take anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of your chunks. They should be crackly and crispy on the outside, but creamy and soft when you bite into them!

You'll need to force yourself to let them cool a few minutes before you snarf them down!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just roasted some taties, onions, garlic, carrots and....fennel! I finally got up the courage to try it and it was DELISH. I may break down and do brussels sprouts. All thanks to you, Janine!

The pic of your roasted potatoes looks mouth watering good, by the way.

Janine Serresseque said...

Debra, be careful with fennel!! First you're just "experimenting" and then before you know it, you've moved on to hard core vegetables. It's just like dope!

JB said...

I do this ALL the time- but I use small red skinned potatoes - I always toss them in olive oil cuz once I tried Veg oil and they never got crispy enough. It is so easy and can be varied by using different herbs. Good one - now I am hungry.

Janine Serresseque said...

I have no success getting the skin-on potatoes to come out crispy. Do you boil them a littl e first, or just pop them in raw?

Amy Gethins Sullivan said...

So~ your back~ I have missed you~
Believe it or not( being an Irish Potato & all)~ this is a new trick for me & I will very, most definitely try very, very soon.
~Amy~

JB said...

I just coat them in decent olive oil on a baking sheet and them season them - toss them around. Pop them in the oven at around 350-400 and bake until they are crispy - (at least an hour.)
I did this last night again. I will post a pic on my blog today or tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

I'm with JB; crispiness = rubbing with oil or another fat before seasoning and baking. I think. And always use a good and hot oven.

This was such a timely recipe -- my husband just had dental surgery and I need to make him all soft foods. It's like having a giant, angry baby in the house.

pnlkotula said...

We sometimes cube up the red skinned ones, little olive oil, oregano, little garlic salt, parmesan, wrap in aluminum foil and toss on the grill. Mmmm.