Roast Potatoes

By catfish

Serves 4. Published May 1, 1998.
To roast more than two pounds of potatoes at once, use a second pan rather than crowding the first. If your potatoes are small, like new potatoes, cut them in halves instead of wedges and turn them cut-side up during the final ten minutes of roasting.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes or other low-starch potatoes, scrubbed clean, dried, halved, and cut into 3/4-inch wedges
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes and olive oil in medium bowl to coat; season generously with salt and pepper and toss again to blend.
2. Place potatoes flesh side down, in a single layer, on shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook about 20 minutes. Remove foil; roast until side of potato touching pan is crusty golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove pan from oven and carefully turn potatoes over using metal spatula. (Press spatula against metal as it slides under potatoes to protect crusts.) Return pan to oven and roast until side of potato now touching pan is crusty golden brown and skins have raisin-like wrinkles, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove from oven, transfer potatoes to serving dish (again, using metal spatula and extra care not to rip crusts), and serve warm.