Garlicky Extra Crispy Roasted Potatoes

My favorite way to make extra crispy roasted potatoes. The trick is to parboil them and then let them roast in the oven so the outsides are garlicky and crispy and the inside is buttery soft!

Servings: 5-6

Ingredients

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled + cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons melted ghee or olive oil (or melted animal fat), divided
2-4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, optional

Instructions

PARBOIL: Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add a generous fistful of kosher salt (or about 1 ½ tablespoon) along with the baking soda and potatoes; stir to combine. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Allow the potatoes to come back to a boil and cook about halfway through, about 8-10 minutes. Test using a paring knife, it should go through with some resistance. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the same pot.
CRISPY EDGES: Using a large metal spoon, quickly toss the potatoes in the pot. You want to use the edges of the metal spoon to create texture and scraggly, mushy edges on the outside of the potatoes. This will cause the edges to get extra crispy in the oven! Drizzle the potatoes with 3 tablespoons of melted ghee with a bit more salt (just a bit!) and a few good cracks of fresh pepper.
BAKE: Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet in a single layer, leaving a bit of space around the pieces so that they crisp up and don’t steam. Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes.
FINISH: When the potatoes have 3 minutes left of roasting time, combine the grated garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, parsley, and thyme in a small bowl and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds or until the liquid just heats through. Remove from the oven and toss the potatoes. I shake the pan to see if they’ll all come loose before using a fish spatula to help turn them over. Drizzle the prepared garlic mixture over the potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Return the potatoes to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes or until you can smell the garlic wafting through the kitchen and the potatoes are golden brown and crispy looking. Let cool for a few minutes then serve immediately!

Notes