Sides
Ultra-Crispy New Potatoes With Garlic, Herbs, and Lemon

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Note: Duck fat, turkey fat, or chicken fat can be used in place of the canola oil.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 pounds red or yellow new potatoes, scrubbed clean, sliced in half
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (see note above)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons slived chives
  • 2 teaspoons zest from 1 lemon
  • 3 medium cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Procedures

  1. Adjust oven racks to lower and upper position and preheat oven to 500°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and place in oven. Place potatoes in a large saucepot and cover with cold water by 1-inch. Add 2 tablespoons salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until exteriors are tender, about 5 minutes. Potatoes should show a slight resistance when poked with a paring knife or a cake tester. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.

  2. Add 2 tablespoons oil to bowl with potatoes. Season with pepper and more salt to taste then toss until exteriors are slightly bashed up and coated in a thin layer of potato/oil paste. Spread remaining canola oil evenly over surfaces of hot foil-lined baking sheets, then divide potatoes evenly between them, using a thin spatula to arrange them cut-side down and using oven mitts or kitchen towels to maneuver the hot pans.

  3. Transfer baking sheets to the oven and roast until the bottoms of the potatoes are crisp and golden brown and can be easily lifted from the foil, about 30 minutes total, swapping top the trays top for bottom and rotating them once half way through roasting. Using a thin metal spatula, loosen all of the potatoes from the pan and toss. Return to oven and continue roasting until pale golden brown all over, about 15 minutes longer. Add shallots to pans and toss to coat in oil. Return to oven and roast until potatoes and shallots are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.

  4. Add parsley, chives, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil to potatoes and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.