Oven Roasted Potatoes

I have written a few posts that involve potatoes, and, I feel that simple is always better. Although my root hash browns are technically not a potato dish, they are delicious. Golden crispy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. For stove top hash browns I use my skillet, or you could use a non stick pan. But there is an even easier way. Just mix the potatoes, oil and spices and put them in the oven, it may take a little longer, but oh, are they good. So, here we have oven roasted potatoes, watch the video in the recipe card at the end of the post. Serve as a side to your favorite meal, or top with an egg and cheese and make them the star of the show.

The humble potato was first domesticated in Peru over 7000 years ago. Since then it has found itself to be a staple part of diets all over the world. In fact it’s the fourth largest food crop behind maize, wheat and rice. And every region has their own unique way of preparation. But as with most things, simple is always better.

Sometimes when you’re putting together a meal you run out of space on top of the stove, or you just don’t have enough hands to do everything. Maybe, you just don’t want to get too involved in the cooking process. Well, that’s why most kitchens have ovens too. The oven is a magical appliance, you put something in it, come back a little later and it’s been transformed into something incredible, like oven roasted potatoes.

The preparation is pretty simple. I’ll use about 3lbs of potatoes, and par cook them first. I’m using red potatoes, with the skin on. I like the skin and they bring color to the plate. Boil for 10 mins in water is enough. This softens them a bit, gets the cooking process started. The idea is that when they’re done they’ll be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Drain them from the pan and allow to cool, if you’re in a bit of a rush, rinse them in cold water. Now, cut them up into the appropriate size, about 1to1 1/2 inch pieces, make sure that each piece of potato has some skin on, it makes them look great on the plate. Remove any blemishes, and put them in a bowl.

Now add enough olive oil to coat, coarse ground salt and pepper to taste. Mix really well, you want to make sure that all the potato pieces have a coating on them. Now transfer to a foil lined baking pan, and, place in a preheated 375 degree oven. That’s the prep, now to let the oven do its work. Come back in an hour, the potatoes will be golden brown and crunchy on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. Remove from the oven when done, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve your oven roasted potatoes with your favorite dish. Thank you for reading, enjoy the food