Crispy Roasted Potatoes

How to prepare crispy roasted potatoes

1. Peel the potatoes and cut in half or in quarters if very large. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Put the potatoes in a pot with water and salt and boil for 10 minutes from when it starts boiling. The idea is to cook the potatoes (a fork should go in easily) but not so much that they fall apart easily. Starchy potatoes break apart easily, so it's better to undercook than overcook. You'll see in step 4 why it's important not to overcook them.
3. When the potatoes start to boil, put oil in a baking tray large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. You need a thin layer of oil in the tray (I used 2 tablespoons for a 26 cm diameter pan). Put the tray in the oven so it has time to heat well while the potatoes boil (those 10 minutes).
4. Drain the potatoes. Put the potatoes back in the pot they boiled in. Put the lid on the pot and shake the pot up and down about 5-6 times. Lift the lid and you'll see that the potato pieces look frosted. That was the purpose of the shaking. That part will turn into a crispy crust, while the inside stays soft.
6. Take the hot tray out of the oven and place the potatoes in the tray, one next to another. Sprinkle with coarse salt and any other seasonings if desired.
7. Put the tray in the oven for 45 minutes (after 30 minutes you can check them - when they're golden and the crust is very crispy, they're done).
8. Serve hot.

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