WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For this different take on roasted potatoes, we chose creamy, dense fingerling potatoes, halved them, and boiled them in a mixture of salt and baking soda. The salt made these boiling potatoes nice and fluffy, and the baking soda brought the potatoes’ starch to the surface. After boiling them, we let the potatoes cool to vent steam and then arranged them, cut side down, on a hot baking sheet so that the now starch-covered potatoes would become crispy in the oven. Look for fingerling potatoes measuring approximately 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
- Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes, salt, and baking soda, return to simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender but centers offer slight resistance when pierced with paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Drain potatoes in colander and shake vigorously to roughen edges. Transfer potatoes to large platter lined with kitchen towel and arrange cut side up. Let sit until no longer steaming and surface is tacky, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer potatoes to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and pepper.
- Working quickly, remove sheet from oven and drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over surface.
- Arrange potatoes cut side down on sheet in even layer.
- Roast until cut sides are crisp and skins spotty brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.
- Flip potatoes cut side up and let cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Serve.
