The difference between sad, pale roast potatoes and the kind with a shattering crust is two steps most people skip: parboiling and roughing up the edges. Do both and you trade soft potatoes for ones that crunch when you bite them.
Pick the right potato
Use a starchy or all-purpose potato like Russet or Yukon Gold. Waxy potatoes hold together too tightly and stay dense. Peel them and cut into chunks roughly two inches across so they have plenty of surface area.
Parboil, then rough them up
- Boil the chunks in well-salted water for about ten minutes, until the outsides are soft but the centers are still firm.
- Drain them and let them steam dry for a minute.
- Shake them in the pot, hard, until the edges go rough and fluffy. Those ragged edges are what crisp up.
Hot pan, hot fat
Heat a generous amount of oil or fat in a roasting pan in a 425-degree oven first. The potatoes should sizzle the moment they land. Toss them to coat, spread them out so none touch, and do not turn them for the first twenty-five minutes. Crowding is the most common mistake. If the pan is packed, the potatoes steam instead of roast. Flip once, roast until deep golden, and salt them the second they come out.