Ultimate Roasted Potatoes - Cook's Illustrated

Another winning recipe from Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen magazine).

I bought duck fat at Whole Foods, but it's 10 bucks for a 12 oz. container. I didn't taste a significant difference from other meat fat, so I recommend using either chicken fat or 3 T bacon fat with 3T olive oil (per ATK).

These potatoes were excellent! Love the technique! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I will make them again.

I made 1/2 the recipe, using baby Yukon Golds and I did NOT peel them,

Lee

Ultimate Roasted Potatoes (Cook's Illustrated)

3 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes (they say peel), cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 teas baking soda (don't skip this - there's a scientific reason for it)
6 T. duck fat (or, see above)
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped

Put oven rack in top position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack and preheat oven to 475.

Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/3 cup salt, baking soda and potatoes. Return to boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain potatoes, then return them to the pot and dry them out over low heat for a couple of minutes.

Remove from heat, add T fat and 1 teas salt. Stir gently until potatoes are coated.

Put potatoes on hot baking sheet, roast for 15 minutes. Flip potatoes and roast for another 12 to 15 minutes until brown.

In the meantime, mix the other 3 T fat with chopped rosemary. Remove potatoes from oven, spoon the mixture over them and return to the oven to roast for another 5 minutes.

Season again if desired and serve.

Looks DELISH!! But what is the scientific reason for the baking soda?

"The soda rapidly degrades the pectin in the cells at the exterior of the potato, causing them to release a wet starch that rapidly browns".

For you, Shermie.

Lee

OH YUM!! Can I chop bacon and brown to render the fat, drain bacon use 1 TBSP fat then at the end add the bacon also? I mean I will need to cook the bacon to get the fat anyway. LOL

Yes, sure you can add the bacon, Peep! Great idea!

They say to use 3T bacon fat and 3T olive oil, if you are using bacon fat.

Lee

I love it, thanks so much for the recipe. The whole meal looks fantastic. CF

In the recipe is mentioned kosher salt. I can´t find it from my place at all. What about using some other salt like sea salt?

Saliha said:

In the recipe is mentioned kosher salt. I can´t find it from my place at all. What about using some other salt like sea salt?

Click to expand...

Absolutely! Sea salt would be excellent, Saliha.

Lee

These are good using fingerling potatoes too. Just smash them flat when you put them on the baking pan and flip once.

I like fingerling potatoes. They taste very creamy & are very flavorful!!

These potatoes would make an excellent side dish with roast duck, which would solve the duck fat problem.