As I type this, we are experiencing a major post-holiday heat wave in my corner of the world. The irony is not lost on me that this week I’m advocating that you turn on your oven. However, we have been assured by the meteorologists that this weather is a blip, and we will be back to more spring like temps very soon, meaning you have a few days to gather your ingredients for this one.
Roastie potatoes, in my opinion, should be a food group. There are so many ways you can spice them up, and even eaten with just salt and pepper they are a thing of beauty, and ultimate comfort. Like so many others, my husband and I were in need of some serious comfort food this past weekend, as we stayed at home on Memorial weekend for the first time….. well, ever. He picked steak, that he grilled to perfection, and I chose these magnificent potatoes. After we had finished eating, we decided that this should become our Sunday tradition to help us get through these dark days.
Potatoes need more salt than you would think, which is why you will see this recipe ask you to salt them at three different points during cooking. That allows the salt to soak in to bring out the flavor of both the potatoes and the herbs, and not just taste salty, as it would if we added that much salt a the end.
This recipe can be easily scaled up or down depending on how many you are serving, the size of the servings and if you want leftovers. Just make sure that if you double this recipe, you use two baking sheets. If you crowd them they will not get crispy!
I recommend yellow potatoes for this recipe, they are starchy enough to give a beautiful crisp exterior, but not so starchy that they get mealy the way a russet potato would inside. Peel your potatoes and cut them into bite size chunks (they will lose a little size in the oven). Boil potatoes in broth (with salt added) until a very sharp knife just is able to pierce them when firmly pushed (usually about 8-10 minutes). You do not want soft potatoes or the whole thing will literally fall apart. While your potatoes are boiling you will combine the oil and butter on a baking sheet with edges, and put it in the oven to get super hot. Drain your potatoes in a colander, return them to the pan used for boiling and put over low heat for 1-2 minutes to evaporate some of the excess moisture. Cover the pan with a lid and give them a few big shakes to bang up the outside of the potatoes. You want them to look fuzzy on the outside. The “fuzzier” they are, the better crust you will get. Remove the baking pan with oil from the oven and add potatoes (watch for splatter from the oil and butter!). Toss potatoes with tongs or a spatula until evenly coated in oil mixture and return to oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the underside of the potatoes have a lovely, golden crust. Remove from the oven, flip the potatoes. Sprinkle seasoning over potatoes and flip in oil mixture and seasoning until potatoes are well coated. Return to the oven. Bake until potatoes have a mostly uniform crust, flipping as necessary. I usually end up baking these for 45 – 60 minutes total (or 30-45 minutes post-seasoning). Salt to taste and serve hot.
Happy Comfort Cooking,
Kristina
Garlic and Herb Roastie Potatoes
1 ½ Pounds Yellow Potatoes (such as Yukon Gold)
1 Quart Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 tsp salt
4 Tbl Butter
2 Tbl Olive Oil
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into bite size chunks. Boil potatoes in broth with 1 tsp salt. Put oil and butter on an edged baking sheet and heat in the oven until melted. Drain potatoes. Return to pan and put over low heat 1-2 minutes to evaporate extra moisture. Put lid on pan and shake aggressively a few times to rough up edges of potatoes. Pour potatoes onto baking sheet with oil mixture, stir potatoes and oil mixture until potatoes are evenly coated. Spread evenly over baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Removed pan from oven and flip potatoes. Combine garlic powder, oregano, thyme and salt. Sprinkle mixture evenly over potatoes on baking sheet, flip potatoes until evenly coated in oil mixture and seasonings. Bake until evenly golden brown, flipping as needed – approximately 30 – 45 minutes more. Salt to taste. Serve hot.
Serves 2-4
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