Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Parboiled, roughed up & roasted screaming hot — shattering outside, fluffy inside

Serves 4–6 · 15 min

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2 lb potatoes (Yukon Gold or russet), in big 2″ chunks
1 Tbsp salt, for the boiling water (+ ½ tsp baking soda — the crisp secret)
¼ cup fat — beef drippings, duck fat, or oil (not olive) (the roast's drippings are perfect)
flaky salt · pepper · optional: smashed garlic, rosemary

What you need

2 lb potatoes (Yukon Gold or russet), in big 2″ chunks

1 Tbsp salt, for the boiling water (+ ½ tsp baking soda — the crisp secret)

¼ cup fat — beef drippings, duck fat, or oil (not olive) (the roast's drippings are perfect)

flaky salt · pepper · optional: smashed garlic, rosemary

Parboil. Cover the chunks with cold water, add the salt and the baking soda, bring to a boil, and cook 8–10 min until a knife slides in but they're not falling apart. Drain well.
Rough them up. Let them steam-dry in the colander a minute, then put them back in the empty pot, cover, and shake hard a few times to rough up the edges into a fluffy, broken surface. Those ragged edges are what crisp. Dry potatoes only — moisture is the enemy.
Preheat the fat. Put the fat in a sheet pan or roasting pan and heat it in the 450°F oven until shimmering, ~5 min. Potatoes hitting hot fat start frying on contact instead of soaking and going soft.
Roast hard, flip once. Tip the potatoes into the hot fat, toss to coat, and spread them out in a single layer with space — crowding steams them. Roast at 450°F ~35–40 min, flipping once halfway, until deep golden and crunchy all over. Add smashed garlic and rosemary for the last 10 min if using.
Season & serve now. Hit them with flaky salt and pepper the second they come out, and serve hot — they're at their crispest straight from the pan.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Parboil. Cover the chunks with cold water, add the salt and the baking soda, bring to a boil, and cook 8–10 min until a knife slides in but they're not falling apart. Drain well.

2. Rough them up. Let them steam-dry in the colander a minute, then put them back in the empty pot, cover, and shake hard a few times to rough up the edges into a fluffy, broken surface. Those ragged edges are what crisp. Dry potatoes only — moisture is the enemy.

3. Preheat the fat. Put the fat in a sheet pan or roasting pan and heat it in the 450°F oven until shimmering, ~5 min. Potatoes hitting hot fat start frying on contact instead of soaking and going soft.

4. Roast hard, flip once. Tip the potatoes into the hot fat, toss to coat, and spread them out in a single layer with space — crowding steams them. Roast at 450°F ~35–40 min, flipping once halfway, until deep golden and crunchy all over. Add smashed garlic and rosemary for the last 10 min if using.

5. Season & serve now. Hit them with flaky salt and pepper the second they come out, and serve hot — they're at their crispest straight from the pan.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.