How to Roast Potatoes

Few side dishes satisfy like warm, crispy roasted potatoes, showered with just the right touch of sea salt.

By: Mindy Fox

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How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Few side dishes satisfy like warm, crispy roasted potatoes, showered with just the right touch of sea salt. Perfect with just about any meat or fish dish, this simple, fuss-free fare also makes a great addition to a lavish vegetarian feast. If you already have the oven on for a chicken, whole fish, braised dish or roast, even better.

Pick Your Potatoes

Potato varieties differ most definably in size, shape, color and starch content. Not all are suitable for every cooking technique — floury, high-starch varieties like russets, for example, are prone to falling apart when boiled — but all tend to work well for roasting. Try everything from the red- or white-skinned potatoes you’ll find at most supermarkets, to russet, Yukon gold, creamer and sweet potatoes, as well as farmers-market types like purple potatoes or fingerlings.

Prep Your Potatoes

To feed 4 eaters, cut 2 pounds of potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick wedges, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Season the Spuds

Season the spuds generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Now sprinkle with 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or the leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs rosemary, toss to coat, and spread once again in a single layer.

Roast to Your Preference

Roast on the center rack of a 400-degree F oven, stirring the potatoes halfway through, until they’re crispy on the outside and tender within, 30 to 40 minutes. In addition to roasting in wedges, potatoes can be cut into coins or cubes. They can also be roasted whole in salt, which produces tender skin and light, fluffy flesh, or scored into an accordion-fanned shape before roasting in the Swedish “hasselback” style, which offers multiple crispy edges, plus crevices to dollop herbs or toppings into.

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