Oven-Roasted Potatoes

This is fairly simple recipe, but it’s important to follow the steps closely. These potatoes go well with any meat or fish dish, and are also good on their own. If you want them to be especially savory, you can use duck fat, but olive oil is what I usually use. You can also vary the spices, according to your taste, and the menu of the day.

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of yellow potatoes
Oil (olive or vegetable)
Salt
Pepper
Fresh or Dried rosemary
4-5 garlic cloves (optional)

Recipe:
Fill pot with water. Peel potatoes and place in water, so they won’t turn brown.  Once you have all the potatoes peeled, cut them into quarters, lengthwise, and cut quarters in half. These should be fairly large pieces. Put cut potatoes back into water as you go, and once you’ve got them all cut up, give them a good rinse in the pot, empty the water, and refill with fresh water to cover. Add 1 and ½ teaspoons of salt, and put on stove, cover, and bring to a boil. As potatoes are coming to a boil, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Once potatoes come to boil, lower them to simmer, and cook potatoes, uncovered, until just tender when pierced with a fork (this is an important step: be careful not to overcook them, so they don’t fall apart). Remove from heat and drain potatoes. (Optional: throw peeled garlic cloves into the water to boil along with the potatoes.) Pour 3-4 tablespoons of oil on cookie sheet, and slide potatoes (and garlic if using) onto cookie sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper (and 1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary if using). Use spatula to toss potatoes to coat with oil and seasonings. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, then turn potatoes with spatula. Roast another 10-15 minutes or so, or until potatoes are browned and crispy. Time will vary according to your oven and amount of potatoes. These are best served piping hot, so timing can be tricky.