Potatoes are delicious in many forms—mashed, baked whole, boiled, fried—but it’s hard to beat crispy oven-roasted potatoes. Fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside, roasted potatoes get great flavor and texture from a high-heat oven. That is, if they’re cooked just right.
For such a simple food, roasted potatoes are easy to mess up. The most common issue is limp, mushy potatoes. Basically, the opposite of what you hope for when you make roasted potatoes. If you’ve struggled with producing crispy roasted potatoes in the past, then I’m here to tell you that a small tweak or two can make all of the difference. Beyond using an oven that isn’t hot enough (it should be at least 400°F!), below are the most common mistakes people make and how to (very easily) fix them.
Overcrowding the Pan
The roasting sin I’m most guilty of is adding too much food to the pan. “It’ll fit!” I say, as I shove entirely too many potatoes on a baking sheet. I know that this will keep them from properly browning, but I simply don’t want to wash another pan. If you’ve ever done the same thing, just know that it is never worth it. Properly crisped roasted potatoes are always worth dirtying one more pan.
Here’s how to tell if your pan is overcrowded: When spreading out the potatoes on a sheet pan, they should easily fit in a single layer and have a small amount of space between each potato. If you find that you can’t fit all of the potatoes without overlapping or touching on all sides, then swap to a bigger pan or split them between two pans, rotating the pans between the oven racks halfway through.
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Lining the Pan
It’s tempting to line the pan whenever roasting for each clean-up, but parchment or aluminum foil can actually prevent your potatoes from properly browning. Direct contact with the pan is the best way to encourage crispy browning action. If your potatoes stick to the pan a bit, Let them cool for just a minute or two, then use a thin metal spatula and slice it between the potatoes and the pan. If any pieces stick to the pan, pry them off, since they will be the crispiest, tastiest bits of them all.
Skipping Boiling
You can certainly make roasted potatoes without boiling the potatoes first and get good results. But if you consistently find your roasted potatoes lacking the crunch you were hoping for, then try boiling first. Chefs agree that boiling the potatoes until almost tender and then roasting a hot oven is the key to perfectly fluffy and crispy roasted potatoes. Be sure to drain the potatoes completely to get rid of any residual water before tossing with oil and roasting.
Using a Cold Pan
The standard method for roasting potatoes calls for tossing the potatoes with oil and seasoning, spreading out on a sheet pan, and roasting until tender and crisp. If you want extra crunch factor, then preheat the roasting pan. Simply slide it in the oven as it preheats while you prep the potatoes by tossing them in a bowl with oil. Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot pan and dump the potatoes on top, shaking the pan to distribute the potatoes evenly, then slide the pan in back in the oven.
This trick gives the potatoes a jump start, since they’ll start cooking and crisping up as soon as they hit the pan. Jamie Oliver likes to combine these last two tips, boiling the potatoes and then adding them to a hot pan to crisp up quickly.
If you’re looking to upgrade your roasted potatoes and ensure they’re crispy and never mushy, try one (or two or three!) of these tips.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes