June Recipe: The Lord's Potatoes v. 2.0 (Patreon)

The Lord’s Potatoes v. 2.0

Some potatoes (however much you want, really, the recipe is very flexible)

3-6 cloves garlic

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tsp curry powder or potato sprinkle (Australian spice combo)

5 tblsp Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Salt and pepper to taste

Potatoes are amazing miracles and I am always looking for the best way to make them. I had a "melting potatoes" recipe I was using for a long while that was so good we called them the Lord’s Potatoes, but I had kind of stopped doing it because it’s pretty labor intensive and occupies the oven forever and uses butter instead of oil which isn't ultimately my preference. 

I was looking for a plain roasted potatoes recipe the other night and came across this one from Serious Eats, which they insist on communicating via video instead of text because they are cruel and wicked folk, so I’m going to write it out for you (with a few variations of my own) so that you can make these because holy crap, I’ll be damned if they aren’t actually the best roasted potatoes I’ve ever had.

There are two secrets, the baking soda and the torturing of the taters. The baking soda makes the boiling water alkaline and thus the potatoes more porous, to better receive the infused oil magic, while the savage beating of the potatoes gives them more and thinner surface area to crisp up. You can vary this by changing the spices to anything you like—a quick dusting of cayenne pepper can also give them a nice kick. 

So look, it’s pretty easy. Boil the potatoes in salted water like usual, but add that 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the water. Boil for 8 minutes. While that’s all happening, infuse oil with spices by adding 5 tblsp olive oil to a pan along with chopped fresh herbs and minced garlic. Cook over medium heat until garlic is just barely brown and drain. Reserve the garlic/herb mixture and pour oil into a large bowl. Add curry powder to the oil. Drain potatoes, toss them into the bowl with the oil.

Now comes the brutality.

Shake the crap out of that bowl, jostling and knocking the potatoes around until they get mushed up on the outside like mashed potatoes and coated in the oil. This mushy exterior will crisp up amazingly, like yummy golden brown armor for the soft, creamy tatery insides. 

Lightly oil a pan, dump the whole mess from the bowl in, bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

At this point, check the potatoes. They should be starting to crisp up. Flip each one with tongs so all sides get nice and brown. Continue to check and flip for another 20-30 minutes depending on how beefy your oven is. 

Serve sprinkled with the fried garlic and herb mixture. 

You can thank me whenever.