There are many roast potato recipes on the internet, but not all of them seem to deliver the right taste and texture.
To go alongside your roast beef or roast pork this weekend, try your hand at cooking these garlic ‘extra crispy’ roast potatoes recipe from Marzia, a cooking expert and the woman behind little spice jar.
She claimed that this is her “favourite way” to make “extra crispy” oven-roasted potatoes, and it only takes 10 minutes to prep.
The best part is it’s just a handful of straightforward pantry staple ingredients that work together beautifully and “leave you with an extra crispy herb and garlic outer crust and are pillowy soft on the inside”.
Marzia said she likes to use russet potatoes for this recipe as the excess starch in russet potatoes aids in making them “extra crispy and crunchy”.
Ingredients
1.4kg russet potatoes, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
Half teaspoon of baking soda
Five tablespoons olive oil (or melted animal fat)
Two to four garlic cloves, grated or minced
One tablespoon minced parsley
One-quarter teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7 with a rack positioned in the centre of the oven.
Chop the potatoes in a uniform shape and size so that they cook evenly. Having some small and some large pieces may leave you with some that are crispy while others are soft.
Add the potatoes to a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Season with a generous amount of salt along with the baking soda and stir to combine.
Adding baking soda to a pot of boiling water makes the water alkaline. Alkaline water helps “break down the exterior of the potato quicker”. The soft outer edges then “crisp up in the oven and provide that crispy texture”.
Allow the potatoes to come to a boil and cook about halfway through, about eight to 10 minutes. Test using a paring knife, it should go through with some resistance. Drain potatoes, then return to the same pot.
Using a large metal spoon, quickly toss the potatoes in the pot. You want to use the edges of the metal spoon to create texture and scraggly, mushy edges on the outside of the potatoes. This will cause the edges to get extra crispy in the oven!
Drizzle the potatoes with three tablespoons of oil or animal fat with a bit more salt and a few good cracks of fresh pepper.
Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet in a single layer, leaving a bit of space around the pieces so that they crisp up. Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes, tossing them once halfway through.
When the potatoes have three minutes left of roasting time, combine the grated garlic, remaining two tablespoons of oil, parsley, and thyme in a small bowl and pop in the microwave for 30 seconds or until the liquid just heats through.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and give them a toss. Drizzle the prepared garlic mixture over the potatoes and toss until evenly coated.
Return the potatoes to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or “until you can smell the garlic wafting through the kitchen and the potatoes are golden brown and crispy looking”.