Crispy Roast Potatoes with rosemary and garlic, a side dish after my own heart. Are you looking for the best side dish for the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Well, here you have one of them. And if you want to take that Sunday roast to a whole new level, you need to follow a few, very easy steps which will guarantee a smashing success every single time.
I could happily live on potatoes my whole life and not complain even once about it. Cooked in any possible way, any time of the day. They are such a basic ingredient, yet the dishes you can come up with are countless. From simple sides to fancy bites, potatoes are a must at any big celebration. Or every Sunday roast.
Having a roast without some golden roasties is out of question. Why settle for store-bought frozen roast potatoes when you can make them yourself, and roast them to perfection? It’s a lot easier than you’d think, and you’ll get a restaurant-style side dish that will impress all your guests.
With Thanksgiving coming up soon, there is a lot of preparation to be done. But for this recipe the prep is minimal, and you only need a few basic ingredients that you already have in your pantry. It’s not compulsory to use fresh rosemary, dried one can be used instead if you happen to have that.
Sure, the fresh one has that strong fragrance that I absolutely love, and how it fills the kitchen with a fantastic smell. But there is no need to buy it specially for this recipe if you are not going to use it for anything else.
HOW TO ROAST PERFECTLY CRISPY POTATOES
If you just throw the potatoes in the oven you will still get nice roast potatoes, but not perfectly roasted ones. And in order to achieve perfection, crispy roast potatoes on the outside, fluffy on the inside, you need to follow these easy steps:
- peel, wash and cut the potatoes either into half or quarter depending on the size of your potatoes – if you have really big ones, just cut them up into chunks
- add them to a pan, cover with cold water, and add a pinch of salt
- bring to a boil, then leave to simmer until the edges are slightly softer – all in all, this should take about 10-12 minutes
- remove from the heat, and drain the potatoes, then shake the colander well
Note! Not to worry if you bash the potatoes well and they break up slightly, those bits will crisp up really well, and give up perfectly roasted potatoes ( see step 4 in the photo below).
- add the oil to the baking tray, and heat it up in the oven for 3-4 minutes until smoking hot
- carefully add the potatoes to the tray, turning them onto the other side so they can soak up the hot oil
- season with salt, add the rosemary sprigs and garlic, then roast at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 45 minutes (or until golden), turning them half the way through.
What is the best oil for roast potatoes?
If for a salad or other lighter dishes we go for olive oil, for perfect roasties we need an oil with a high smoking point, vegetable oil is the best here, I usually go for sunflower oil which has a neutral smell, and give the potatoes that crispiness we love. Canola oil or grapeseed oil are also recommended.
If you like goose or duck fat, these are also a good choice since they also have a high smoking point, so they will be ok at the temperatures set to roast the potatoes.
5 TRICKS FOR CRISPY ROAST POTATOES
- Choose white floury potatoes, Maris Piper or King Edward are the best here
- Preboil the potatoes before roasting – once you drain the water, shake them really well, the broken bits will help them crisp up in the oil, and soak up the hot oil
- Choose an oil or fat with high smoking point – vegetable oil is the best – and heat it up before adding the potatoes
- Do not overcrowd the pan, the potatoes need to be arranged on a single layer in the baking tray
- Turn the potatoes over half the way through to ensure even roasting and a golden colour
HOW TO ADD GARLIC TO THE ROAST POTATOES
The potatoes will be in the oven for up to an hour – or possibly longer, depending on the oven. If you peel the garlic, it will become bitter and slightly burnt, so it’s best to add it without peeling it first. It will roast nicely, and once you serve the potatoes, you can have it peeled too.
By roasting it without peeling, the garlic looses its pungent taste, but the strong flavour is still there. I really like it, and it gives the potatoes a really nice touch. Alternatively, you can add the garlic towards the end of the roasting.
Looking for more amazing potato side dishes? How about these spectacular sides I have for you? All cooked in the oven, just a tad different, but as delicious.
Crispy Roasted Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
If you’ve liked my CRISPY ROAST POTATOES or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Crispy Roast Potatoes with rosemary and garlic, a side dish after my own heart. Are you looking for the best side dish for the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Well, here you have one of them. And if you want to take that Sunday roast to a whole new level, you need to follow a few, very easy steps which will guarantee a smashing success every single time.
- 1.5 kg white potatoes (Maris Piper) 3 lb
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 5 cloves of garlic
- a few sprigs of rosemary
-
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 Fahrenheit).
-
Peel, wash and cut the potatoes in big chunks if you have large potatoes, if smaller, either half or quarter them.
-
Add them to a pan with cold water, throw in a pinch of salt, then bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, leave to simmer for 5 or so more minutes, until the edges are slightly tender.
-
Transfer to a colander and drain well, then shake the colander well, even if the potatoes break up slightly.
-
Drizzle the oil over a large roasting tray, and pop it in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the oil is smoking hot.
-
Add the potatoes to the tray in a single layer, turning them onto the other side to coat them well in oil. Season with salt and pepper, Scatter the rosemary sprigs around together with the unpeeled garlic cloves.
-
Roast for about 45-60 minutes, turning them half the way through, until golden and crispy.
