Crispy Roasted Potatoes (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - 2 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, medium size
02 - 1 large Russet potato (about 12 ounces)
03 - 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
04 - 2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus extra for seasoning
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced (if desired)
07 - Fine sea salt for sprinkling at the end

# Instructions:

01 - Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with 2 quarts of water and set it over high heat to bring to a rolling boil.
02 - Set your oven temperature to 450°F. Position one of the racks on the lowest level of the oven. Place your roasting pan (around 11x15 inches works great) directly on that bottom rack to heat up while you prepare everything else.
03 - Peel all your potatoes completely and give them a good rinse under cold water. For the Yukon Golds, cut them into quarters by slicing crosswise first, then lengthwise - aim for chunks that are roughly 1½ inches, definitely no bigger than 2 inches. For the Russet potato, slice it lengthwise into four long pieces, then cut those pieces crosswise into super thin slices.
04 - Once your water is bubbling away, add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and carefully drop in all the potato pieces. Pop a lid on to speed up the return to a boil, then take the lid off and turn the heat down to keep a steady, gentle simmer going. Let them cook uncovered for about 8 minutes - you'll know they're ready when you can pierce the Yukon Golds with a knife and feel just a little resistance in the center. The Russet pieces should be really soft and practically falling apart by now.
05 - Pour the potatoes into a colander to drain completely, then put them back into the hot pot they cooked in. Let them sit there for a couple minutes to steam off any excess moisture.
06 - Dump all the potatoes into a big mixing bowl. Now here's the secret - shake and toss them around vigorously for about a minute. You want to rough up the edges and create a fuzzy, starchy coating all over. Use a fork to really mash up any Russet chunks you see.
07 - Drizzle in your olive oil, add about 1¾ teaspoons of kosher salt, and crack in a generous amount of black pepper. Grab a spatula and keep tossing everything together until the coating gets even thicker and almost looks like chunky mashed potatoes clinging to each piece.
08 - Very carefully pull that scorching hot roasting pan out of your oven using thick oven mitts. Add your potatoes to the pan one at a time if you can (this gives the best crispy texture). Scrape any of that precious mashed potato mixture left in the bowl onto the potatoes, but try not to let it drip onto the bare pan. Spread everything out so the potatoes are in a single layer with as little touching as possible.
09 - Slide the pan into the oven and roast for 20 minutes without touching anything. After 20 minutes, pull out the pan and use tongs to flip each potato over. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes until they're turning a beautiful golden brown color.
10 - If you're using rosemary, mix your chopped rosemary in a small bowl with just enough olive oil to make a thick paste you can spoon - should be about 1 tablespoon of oil.
11 - After the 40 minutes of roasting, flip all the potatoes one more time. If you're skipping the rosemary, just pop them back in for a final 7 minutes until deeply golden and super crispy. If you're adding rosemary, push the potatoes close together, spoon the rosemary paste over the top, spread it around with a spoon as best you can, then separate them out again. Roast for that final 7 minutes until magnificently crispy and golden.
12 - Take the pan out of the oven and let the potatoes cool for just a few minutes. Give them a taste and sprinkle on a little pinch of fine sea salt if you think they need it. Serve while they're still hot and crispy!

# Notes:

01 - This recipe is inspired by techniques from Kenji López-Alt and America's Test Kitchen for achieving the ultimate crispy exterior.
02 - If your potatoes are quite small, you might only need to halve them crosswise. Larger potatoes can be cut into five or six pieces instead of four.
03 - Using Diamond Crystal kosher salt is important - if you're using regular table salt or fine sea salt for cooking, cut the amounts in half (use 1 tablespoon when boiling and just under 1 teaspoon when seasoning).

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