Roast Potatoes with Rosemary — Crisp Outside, Soft Inside
Yvonne Ammann VeganCut unpeeled potatoes into wedges, toss with plenty of olive oil, salt and rosemary, roast in one layer at 220 °C for 40 minutes, turning halfway. For extra crisp: parboil 8 minutes, steam dry, shake roughly in the pot. Floury potatoes crisp more; waxy ones stay juicier.
Roast potatoes are the side that needs no attention and goes with everything — and still often come out of the oven soft instead of crisp. It is never the recipe, but three things: heat, space and oil. 220 °C, not 180. One layer, not a heap. And enough oil that every wedge glistens. The parboiling trick turns them into the crispiest potatoes an oven can produce.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Potatoes
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 3 pieces Garlic cloves (unpeeled, crushed)
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Pepper
Method
- 1
Cut the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 220 °C fan. Wash the potatoes, do not peel, and cut into wedges — large ones into eight, small into four. All about the same thickness so they finish together.
- 2
Season
Toss the wedges in a bowl with the oil, salt, paprika, pepper and rosemary leaves until every piece glistens. Pat dry before the oil goes on — wet potatoes steam.
- 3
Onto the tray
Spread on a lined tray in one layer, cut side down, with space between. Tuck the garlic cloves in between. Too tight? Second tray.
- 4
Roast
Roast 40 minutes, turning after 20. Done when the edges are dark brown and crisp and a knife slides through. Serve at once — they stay crisp only 10 minutes.
Tips
- The parboiling trick for the crispiest version: boil the wedges 8 minutes in salted water, drain, steam dry 2 minutes, then shake hard in the covered pot until the edges are roughed up. Only then oil and roast — 30 minutes is enough. The rough edges turn into a crust like an English Sunday roast.
- A dip alongside: herb quark, soured cream with chives, aioli or simply ketchup. With a dip and salad, roast potatoes are a whole supper for children.
- In an air fryer: 200 °C, 25 minutes, shaking after 12. For four people, two batches — a full basket gives soft potatoes.
What can I substitute?
Thyme is milder. Add dried herbs only after turning — otherwise they burn.
Less crisp, but sweet and soft. 30 minutes at 220 °C, with 1 tsp cumin instead of paprika.
Clarified butter makes them crispest and tastes of Sunday. Rapeseed is neutral and heat-stable.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my roast potatoes not go crisp?
Too little heat, too many on the tray, too little oil, or wet. 220 °C fan, one layer with space, every wedge coated in oil, and pat the potatoes dry first. Baking paper rather than bare tray prevents sticking, not the crust.
Which potatoes for roasting?
Both work. Floury (Agria, Bintje) crisp more outside and turn fluffy inside — the Sunday version. Waxy (Charlotte, Annabelle) stay juicier and hold their shape — the everyday version. At Migros and Coop: blue label floury, green waxy.
Do you have to peel potatoes for roasting?
No. The skin turns crisp and has the most flavour. A thorough wash is enough. Only peel old potatoes with thick, green or sprouting skin.
Can I prepare roast potatoes ahead?
Parboiled, yes: boil up to a day ahead, steam dry and refrigerate. Then oil and roast 30 minutes. Fully roasted potatoes go soft when reheated — 5 minutes in an air fryer at 200 °C crisps them again.
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