The rule-bending kitchen hack for incredibly crispy potatoes (I can’t stop making them)

As a food writer, I’m embarrassed to admit that cooking potatoes has always intimidated me. It doesn’t matter whether they’re baked whole, home fries fried dinner-style (perhaps the most disaster-prone?!) or French fries – potatoes are not a food that I like is intuitive in the kitchen, because however humble it may be. It’s for this reason that I’ve actively avoided cooking potatoes at home for dinner for most of my adult life. Which is a real shame, because who doesn’t love a good potato? They’re inexpensive, the perfect vessel for soaking up chicken juices on a baking sheet, and, as most people probably learned long before me, quite forgiving.

But that’s the problem: it’s hard to really mess up potatoes. And it’s also difficult to make them taste as delicious as in your favorite restaurant. Well, that’s all changed, folks. I found the potato recipe that turned me into someone who cooks potatoes once a week for dinner. I tried this recipe once and fell so in love with it, and I continue to be amazed by its perfection.

What Makes This Potato Recipe So Good

Like my chocolate chip cookies, I like a potato that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These become incredibly crispy – you’d think they’d been well fried – in the pan, while the inside takes on a creamy texture. At the last minute, you add a little fresh rosemary for flavor, which really makes them rival what you’d be served at your neighborhood fancy steakhouse.

Why this recipe really works

When you bite into one of these potatoes, you might think it’s a labor of love that requires you to hover over the stove. Do not be afraid ! The technique used by our extremely talented Senior Recipe Editor, Christine Gallary, is brilliantly (for the most part) practical and, more surprisingly, requires no boiling.

Many recipes require you to boil the potatoes before pan-frying them. It’s not on my agenda on a Thursday evening; it’s so difficult. Christine insists this isn’t necessary: ​​”If you cook the potatoes over medium heat and keep them covered for most of the cooking time, the lid traps the steam,” explains she says, “which helps the potatoes cook well.” Instead, she suggests thinking about it like you would when searing meat. You heat some oil, place the cut potatoes in a single layer and don’t touch them (be as precious as you would be with a ribeye).

Now comes the slightly annoying part: once the potatoes have cooked undisturbed for about 20 minutes (imagine what you can do with that time!) and have taken on the desired deep golden edge, you need to flip them. Yes, every potato. I timed how long this took me the other night and did it in just over five minutes. Someone more skilled with the pliers could work faster, I’m sure. Then the potatoes cook a little longer, you add chopped fresh herbs (if you like, but I recommend it because it takes it to the next level), and a tablespoon of butter.

The result is undeniably impressive; you won’t believe you can make such a perfect side at home. As for me, I’m no longer intimidated by cooking potatoes, I’m just hypnotized.

Get the recipe: Crispy fried potatoes