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?

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.

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.

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.

Works great with gruyere and melted butter too!

Has anyone tried the oven stage in an air fryer with a raiser function? If so, which function, what temp and how long? Thank you!

I did like it, but for me, I'd add more spices than just salt, pepper, butter and cheese when roasting. I enjoyed using cheese cloth for the first time. I'd make this again with a couple of adjustments to taste! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Made as directed. Perfectly crunchy. Excellent flavor. Added to my favorites.

I love these potatoes. So much. I had no cheesecloth once so just put everything in the water loose. Much of the herbs and peppercorns stick to the potatoes, but it turns out I like it that way. So now this is how I always make them and they are still my fave (though I use more butter/parmesan than the recipe calls for… because who can have too much of it? Not me!)

In the video Kenji Lopez-Alt says that he measured out the water because he used a measured amount of baking soda. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of baking soda. But how much water? Did I miss it? Help!

As much as I love potatoes, I ain't making ANY potato recipe that requires six steps.

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.