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.
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.
