The Humble Potato

 ​Ok guys, I have a roasted potato recipe to share with you that is going to blow your mind and your taste buds. Try and think back to a time when you ate the best potato you’ve ever had. Was it a French fry? Was is mashed potatoes? Whatever it was, I’m almost certain that it had one or more of the following qualities. Maybe it was super crispy on the outside, maybe it was moist and soft on the inside, maybe it was creamy or maybe you have no idea why you loved it but it made your eyes roll back into your head. Well with these potatoes you will enjoy all of the above! And the best part, there are only 3 ingredients! It’s potato magic.  Here’s what you’ll need: potatoes, oil and salt!

​Now before we into the method, let’s talk about the ingredients. Most importantly, the potato. This recipe calls for Yukon Gold because of its medium moisture and starch content. Choosing the right potato for the job makes all the difference here guys. A Russet potato for example, is great for mashing or baking because of its low moisture and high starch content. But you wouldn’t use this type of potato roasting because it is mealy and will likely fall apart. High moisture and low starch potatoes, such as the red and fingerling varieties are great for things like potato salad and roasted potatoes because they keep their shape and can stand up to higher cooking temperatures. The Yukon Gold potato is somewhere in between the two which makes it perfect for the combination cooking method that I will explain below. 

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Melt-In-Your-Mouth Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
3lbs Yukon Gold Potato, washed, skin on
1-1.5C Peanut Oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 435F. While your oven is preheating, put a pot of water on to boil and generously season with salt. About 4T
2. While your water is coming to a boil, wash your potatoes and dry, leaving the skin on. Trim off the ends and slice into 1” rounds.
3. Once your water has come to a hard boil, carefully submerge your potatoes and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes. You’re looking for the outside to be fork tender while the center is just barely underdone.
4. As soon as you put your potatoes on to boil you will prepare a roasting pan with your oil of choice. You need about ¼ inch of oil so adjust the amount according to the size of your pan if necessary. At this point you will put your roasting pan with oil into your preheated oven. The oil needs to be nice and hot before you add in the potatoes to finish cooking.
5. Drain your potatoes and proceed to “rough them up” carefully shake them around so the flesh develops a starchy coating. It’s okay if the skin starts to come loose, you just don’t want to break your potatoes in half. If they do break, no worries they will still be delicious.
6. Carefully take out your pan of hot oil and place on a heat safe surface. At this point you are going to carefully add your par cooked potatoes in a single layer, being very careful not to splash yourself with hot oil. Potatoes should be covered about ¼ of the way with oil. Once all your potatoes are arranged in the pan you will season with salt and place back in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. After 15 minutes you will flip your potatoes and rotate your pan. You will continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until browned.
8. Remove your pan from the oven and use a slotted spoon to transfer your golden babies onto a dish lined with paper towels. Wait a few minutes until cook and enjoy! Seriously, wait a few minutes, the inside of those potatoes are like an inferno!

Notes:
1. I chose to use peanut oil because of its high smoke point. This means that the oil won’t burn when brought to a high cooking temperature. You can use an oil of your choice, so long as it has a high smoke point. For more information on what types of oil to use, I have found this article very helpful, Cooking Oils.
2. I have found that in my oven, 425F is a little too low and 450F is a little too high. That is how I came up with 435F. All ovens are not created equally, so keep an eye on them! If after the first 15 minutes your potatoes aren’t crisping up, adjust your temperature a little higher and vise versa. Another factor to consider is how big or small you cut the potatoes. Smaller cuts need a slightly lower heat and vise versa! Play around with it and make it your own! If you decide to add seasoning or herbs do so during the second half of cooking so they don’t burn.