Extra-Crispy Parmesan-Crusted Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Learned this from my Italian Mother. Just bring the potatoes to a boil, then take them off the heat and drain. They'll continue to cook off the heat. If you boil them too long, they'll get mushy. Let them cool. Then toss them with olive oil (not butter) and grated Romano cheese (prefer it to Parmesan). I also add some sprigs of rosemary. And big cloves of garlic. No need to peel them. Roast them in the oven as described in the recipe.

Having made both previous recipes (boil in vinegar, boil in baking soda), I don't bother with trying to make the slurry with a spatula or slotted metal spoon. Potatoes, fat of choice (oil or now butter here), seasoning, go in a mixing bowl, I cover it with something hard like a lid/plate, and a shake it up vigorously. The potatoes mash against each other and the bowl and gets properly covered by the oil/potato/seasoning slurry. Faster, easier, more even coverage.

Kenji created this recipe a few years ago (sans spices/cheese) and it's the only one I make.However, I'm lazy & now have some shortcuts. Preheat oven with baking pan IN. Boil potatoes (Yukon for me) w/salt + spices if using; drain.Put potatoes back in pot. Cover & Shake hard 3 times up and down! Stir in duck fat, more salt, parm if using. Pour onto hot pan (the sizzle!) & bake. Crunchy outside, creamy inside. Divine.

Dear Honored Chef and Esteemed Fellow Readers---Who in their right mind discards garlic before roasting potatoes??? Really??!!And would it not improve the dish to have a few thyme or rosemary leaves speckling the coating (spice bundles are froufrou to me), not to mention a dash of paprika?Happy Cooking!Yours in gustatory pleasure and partial jest (I take garlic very seriously),Michael

Oh my gosh, YES, it MUST be Turkish bay leaves. I wouldn't think of serving my guests this recipe any other way and run the risk of one of them saying, "This wasn't seasoned with TURKISH bay leaves, was it."The disapproval would kill me.

Cheesecloth is a nuisance. I use fine-mesh bags from https://washableproducebags.com/ instead. They’re bags with drawstring closures, and they’re completely washable and reusable. Drain yoghurt, homemade butter; screen out lumps in gravy or custards; or, as here, make it easy to fish out aromatics from a broth.

Love this; so easy and scrumptious. I do save the boiling water, full of its lovely herbal flavors, for amazing yummy soups. I’ve learned to never throw good things out...

Is there a reason to use the cheesecloth rather than just put the flavorings in the water and discard them at the end?

The best way to get a crispy coating and fluffy interior is to return the potatoes to the hot saucepan immediately after draining and really shake the pan around a few times. This roughens the surface and creates a wonderfully crispy exterior.

cooked with small yukon gold taters. boiled in some leftover chicken broth. quartered, but didn't peel. didn't bother with the cheesecloth, just threw the herbs and spices in the cooking water. pretty tasty. will make again. sorry, but my mom was Norwegian.

I followed the recipe, except i made the mistake of not reading it thru. So, i used a cast iron roasting dish to cook the spuds. I got a great result. Cast iron hold the heat so the bottoms were real crisp. They were a little crowded so i hit it with the broiler. It all worked really well. I doubt i’d ever do it differently. Very nice recipe.

I stared for about 60 seconds at "preferably Turkish" on the ingredient list under bay leaves. I pondered, dare I precede using Pacific NW bay leaves? I was so unaware about bay leaf terroir. I decided to live on the edge and make the dish. And while guests feigned delight, I still wondered if they were just being polite, sensing I had used backyard bay leaves.

So delicious! A friend asked me to make these for her and I did not hesitate. I followed the recipe just about to the letter, except I found no need for the cheesecloth bag. I just threw everything in the water and removed the potatoes with just bits of the peppercorns and rosemary still stuck to them. Nothing wrong with that. These were SO VERY GOOD. I will definitely make them again.

Delicious! Delicious! I'd like to share two observations: don't make the mistake I did, by using foil on my pan rather than parchment paper. It made for a messy messy attempt to dislodge those delicious potatoes. And, secondly: my family likes a crispy potato. So, after it was all done baking, I put in under the broiler for about 60-75 seconds. YUMMY! Thanks Kenji for yet another delicious recipe.

@Peggy Herron. The pic from this article isn't the best at showing it's crispyness, the pic from the previous recipe shows it better. https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/12/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe.htmlIt's not that much more work. You boil the chunkier potato like most other roast potato recipe. Drain, add oil/seasoning, fluff up the outside in a bowl, bake. The mashed potato outside turns into a batter like crispy crust.

I never review recipes but my family and I subbed these the best potatoes they’ve ever eaten.

I'd suggest two changes: While potatoes are boiling, place a large sheet pan in the oven with 3T duck or goose fat. Then swap out Step 4 for this step: Put potatoes back in pot and shake vigorously. Then transfer to pre-heated and fat-coated sheet pan.

Has anyone tried this recipe with non-russet potatoes? I would like to make it but, as usual, have only Yukon Golds on hand.

Doesn’t baking soda leach out all the nutrients?

Will this work with sweet potatoes?

I’m from the north of England and this recipe is far easier than mine!!!

I don’t have a comment about the recipe. I just wanted to say - Kenji, you look great!!

What is this obsession with using foil or parchment paper? This recipe work perfectly baked directly on the base of a greased baking tray.

Is there a good way to re-heat any leftovers for this? Of course they are best fresh, but I'm cooking for one and will not be able to eat the whole recipe.

Used pecorino cheese and fresh herbs from the garden. Turned out amazing.

These are amazing! I never have a cloth bag to tie up the herbs, but just toss into the pot…remove when ready to roast. Superb!

If I had to roast at 450 instead of 400, how would the timing change, and is there anything else I should worry about? Trying to do it with a chicken recipe at the same time

Can I sub any other kind of hard or semi-hard cheese I have lying around?

These were very good. But, I had to bake them about twice as long as the recipe called for. I do live at an elevation of about 6600 feet, but that doesn’t usually impact bake times. I used my oven’s convection feature and finally upped the temp to 425. That seemed to do the trick. Next time I’m going 425 convect the whole way.

My family loved these crispy potatoes. I'm going to double the recipe next time.