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Crispy Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Done just right, crispy roasted potatoes are a perfect side for Sunday dinner, and can accompany any sort of roast. They can also double as hash browns alongside eggs and bacon for brunch, should you prefer to sleep in. My version, one of the most popular recipes on Simple Bites, uses cornmeal to coat the potatoes. This crunchy addition, combined with a high cooking temperature, ensures an utterly crispy potato with a moist, fluffy interior. A cast-iron pan yields the best results.
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes about 6 or 7 medium, peeled
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Leaves chopped fresh rosemary minced, plus more chopped for garnish
- 8 garlic cloves peeled
Instructions
- Position a rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut each potato in half, then in half again, until you have 4 evenly sized chunks per potato. Place in a medium pot with 1 teaspoon of the salt, cover with cold water and set over high heat. Bring potatoes to a boil, then reduce heat slightly and boil for 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Drain potatoes, then transfer to the bowl with the cornmeal and toss gently to coat.
- In a 12-inch cast-iron pan or heavy skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. When small bubbles begin to rise (but before oil is smoking) and oil is very hot, add rosemary and garlic. Stir carefully with tongs for a minute to infuse the oil.
- Carefully add cornmeal-crusted potatoes all at once to the hot oil and arrange them with your tongs so that they are evenly distributed around the pan. Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven and turn each potato so the crispy side faces up. Roast for another 20 to 25 minutes or until golden all over.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped fresh rosemary and a sprinkling of sea salt if desired. Serve at once.
Notes
Don’t toss the oil from the pan. Instead, let cool, then strain through a coffee filter or fine sieve and reserve for roasting vegetables.
From Brown Eggs Jam Jars, copyright Aimee Wimbush-Bourque, 2015. Reprinted by permission of Penguin, Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Photography credit: Tim and Angela Chin.
Stacy M says
I made these last night, using small russet potatoes. They turned out amazing! My husband wanted them again for breakfast. So crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and a great use for our abundance of fresh rosemary.
AJ says
Are you sure it's 3/4 cup olive oil. That sounds like almost a cup and a lot? Please let me know because I want to try this recipe. Thank you
lesley says
Made these tonight. Very yummy. I had two other things in the oven at a lower temp - so I ended up spending another 20 minutes or so in front of the pan on the stovetop. for this i will plan better next time. these are significantly better than the "oven-roasted potato wedges" I have made before. I learned a few new tips from this! Thank you for sharing!
Rachel says
These look great - but I'm wondering about a sub for the cornmeal. Not sure if the recipe would work without it, but we've got corn allergies to contend with. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Irene says
So it is not true then, that some corn can be GMO seed yet grown organically?
Jenny says
Nope, not true. GMOs are not allowed in organic agriculture.
Irene says
Do you have a source for non-GMO cornmeal?
Jenny says
Any organic cornmeal or blue cornmeal will be non-GMO.
Michelle says
I would appreciate a link or recommendation for this as well 🙂
Jenny says
Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Cornmeal-24-Ounce/dp/B004VLVN7S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424132593&sr=8-1&keywords=organic+cornmeal
Ellen Williams says
Sounds wonderful, but one should not use olive oil for high heat cooking. It destroys the benefits of the oil. Use olive oil on your salad and try a different oil, such as sunflower or grape seed for high heat cooking.
Jenny says
Hi Ellen, I disagree. I think olive oil is perfectly fine for this approach. Olive oil is mostly a mono-unsaturated fat that is heat-stable at moderate temperatures like those required in cooking this dish. Yes, some of the phytonutrients would be destroyed by cooking, but that's not isolated to olive oil. If you eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, you're getting plenty of phytonutrients such that you needn't worry about the minute quantity lost in a heated olive oil. I use sunflower oil on occasion, too, for its neutral flavor; however, I do not use or recommend grapeseed oil as it is high in polyunsaturated fat that is not as heat-stable as the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.
Diane Broekhuis says
Hello, I always love reading your blog, but now I have a question, I recently heard that Grape seed oil is not good for you, now I use Avocado oil when I cook or fry something, do you think it is a good choice? I also use a lot of Olive oil, but only for cold dishes, my husband puts it even in his yogurt.
Jenny says
Hi Diane, I don't use or recommend Grapeseed oil. Here's my recommendation for fats to use cooked and uncooked: https://nourishedkitchen.com/my-favorite-minimally-processed-unrefined-fats-oils/
Mi says
YUM! Love that you added an extra crispy element to already delicious looking potatoes!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
I bring my rosemary plant indoors all winter so that I have fresh rosemary flavor to work with, love that woodsy flavor so much. You nailed, these simple, delicious potatoes are so perfect with a good roast on a Sunday. Yours look absolutely to die for, I'd eat every single one without stopping. Crispy is just the right word!
Doanersmith says
I appreciate your work for making such wonderful recipe. Sure, I will try it on this valentine day for someone 🙂