Earlier this week we finally turned off our a/c and opened our windows. The night air has been crisp and cool and I was so looking forward to sleeping with the breeze blowing through our room. Of course, the first morning after doing so, I woke up with a horrible sore throat so that sort of put a damper on things. Logically I know the two are unrelated, but I can’t help but feel a bit bitter that instead of enjoying blissful sleep in a cool room I’m now tossing and turning because of this darn cold I’ve caught. I’ve been eating and drinking all the right things, all those things everyone suggests when you mention you have a cold, in the hopes that I can nip it in the bud quickly. Fingers crossed! And hopefully if I get this cold out of the way now I won’t get sick again for the rest of the winter – wouldn’t that be nice?
I never have much of an appetite when I have a sore throat, but the arrival of fall weather has me really craving comfort food. As soon as I feel better, these potatoes will be one of the first things I make. Yes, they’re a little more work than your standard roasted potatoes. Rather than simply cutting the potatoes, drizzling them with olive oil and maybe some seasonings then sticking them in the oven, these are first parboiled. The parcooking keeps the interiors really creamy in the oven while the outside browns and crisps. The recipe also calls for Yukon Gold potatoes as opposed to the russets I usually keep on hand. For the small amount of extra effort, I was rewarded with a ridiculously good batch of roasted potatoes; in fact, I may even have made a meal out of them one day. Oops π They cooked more uniformly than my standard roasted potatoes – each round had a gorgeous crispy brown exterior and a creamy interior. Make them this fall, maybe to accompany a roasted chicken? You won’t be sorry!
Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes
from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2011
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium), rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
5 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place a rack in the lowest position in the oven and place a large, rimmed baking sheet on it.
Combine the potato rounds and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and continue cooking until the edges of the potatoes have softened, but the centers offer resistance when you insert a paring knife, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt then use a rubber spatula to toss. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt then toss again – don’t be gentle, you want to vigorously toss the potatoes until the outside of the slices are coated with a starchy paste, which should take 1-2 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle it with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the potatoes to the baking sheet, spread in an even layer (skin side up for end pieces). Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown and crisp. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the potatoes using a metal spatula. Return to the oven and continue cooking until the second side is golden and crisp, about 10-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Mark and Matt love potatoes…I think if there was one thing they would eat any way any time, it would be potatoes. I will give these a go here as I am certain they would be a favorite. Lovely photo of their little selves.
I love how golden they are – it seems like most roasted potatoes get a little spotty but not these! I can’t wait to try them!
I hope you feel better soon!
These look perfect, so crispy! Can’t wait to try this method.
So sorry you got a cold. When the cold is over though, food will seem to taste even better than normal! These potatoes sound fantastic. Gotta have that ketchup with ’em. Will try these soon. Hope you get well quickly!!
Yukon Gold are my absolute favourite for this type of roasting. What a tasty side dish.
Hopefully you’ll feel better soon π Your potatoes look so good, I think the extra efforts paid off. I like to golden color π
So sorry you are sick! I hate getting colds. We’re finally getting cooler here, too. I’ve made wedge fries before, but I’m thinking I would like these even more. That golden outside looks so good.
Having just gotten over a cold I could not sympathise with you more. I am all for par-boiling the taters. As for accompanying roasted chicken, I happen to be roasting a chicken at this very minute. We’re not eating it tonight, but I bought it at Trader Joe’s today and decided just to get it right into the oven.
I love love love potatos. We don’t usually get the big potatoes, but the small, fingerling potatoes. Either way, potatoes rule. These particular potatoes so so delicous and crispy…mmm. π
P.S. Colds suck; I hope you get over yours quickly because being sick is no fun.
Wow…these look really good. Better than a potato chip! I imagine them so crunchy on the outside, creamy inside and a bit salty! Yum! Hope your throat feels better!
Hope you feel better soon! I have been feeling like I’m getting sick, but I’m crossing my fingers that it just goes away!
Either way… I need to make these potatoes. They look incredible! And, i just happen to have some yukon gold potatoes in the kitchen. π
One of the things we love around here is any sort of crispy potato. I tend to bake/roast more often than fry to save calories but they can end up so darn dry! These however look fantastic! So evenly browned and crispy looking. Now I want potatoes lol.
at this time I don’t have voice maybe because of the weather…I don’t know I only drinking ginger tea my mother thought me that whenever I have sore throat. I love potato specially when it is fried. =)
Sorry to hear about your cold. I think once your past this you’ve met your quota for the year!
These potatoes look delicious. I could totally make a meal out of them. I love yukon golds and will have to give these a try.
I love how crispy these potatoes look! I’d have a hard time not eating them all, they look soooo good! π
I woke up with a sore throat this week too – must be the weather! These look so good! I am going to have to try parboiling for sure! Great way to get crispy potatoes!
Mmm nothing like a crispy potato. Yum!
I love sleeping with the windows open at night! It’s so wonderful to be able to turn off the a/c. Unfortunately during the day I have to turn it back on because although he gets down to the 50s at night we’re still having highs in the 80s! But enough about the weather these look perfectly crispy! I love a good oven crisp potato. And I hope you feel better soon!
Hope you feel better quickly!! These look so comforting and I love that they are crispy outside and creamy inside!
My boys love roasted potatoes, but never thought of doing them like this. They look so crispy! Hope you are feeling better!
These look absolutely comforting. I would probably make a meal out of them too. π
Yum! These guys look scrumptious. I love all things potatoes. I’ll def be trying this soon. It looks so simple and perfect.
These look perfect. I’m always game for anything crispy and potato-y. Gargling twice a day with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar always subdues my sore throats very quickly. I have also heard that sucking on a clove of garlic helps, but I haven’t had a chance to try that one out yet. Hope you feel better soon!
This is a really goodblog thanks
Yum! I don’t always have good results when I haphazardly roast potatoes, so this method looks like something I should try. I’m a big potato fan!
Okay, I totally have to make these, and soon! When you mentioned that you were roasting potatoes, I didn’t realized that you were making them in slices like this. Fantastic idea, and I can’t wait to try them.
Just made them and WOW!!! They’re sure to be a staple for us! Love the simplicity of the ingredients. A little more time consuming prep than I’m used to — but ABSOLUTELY worth it! Thanks!
Love the golden color on these taters.
Somehow I seem to have missed this post earlier on. Peter and I adore potatoes and this semms like such a simple way to do them. By now I guess your cold must be over.
Recently made these and they are fantastic!!
Can you eliminate the cooking in water part???
@Sue – I haven’t tried it, but I think the par-cooking in the water is probably essential to the final crispy texture in the oven. If you give it a try, report back π
I made these to go with dinner tonight and oh my goodness!! This is definintely going to be the way I cook potatoes in the oven from now on! Parboiling them was key! Thanks!
I love your eats, I’m not creative in the kitchen so your blog is great.
I’d like to give you a tip to avoid getting sick at all….I used to get bad flu that invariably turned into bronchites several times a year. Someone recommened I drink 3000 mg of omega 3,6 & 9 per day. I buy those big tubs of flaxseed gel capsules and take 3 x 1000 mg every day. Haven’t even had a stuffy nose since then. Not even kisses from sick kiddies gets to me any more….brilliant π