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Burnished Potato Nuggets

4.4

(53)

This image may contain Dish Food Meal Plant and Platter
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski

Behold, your new standard for roasted potatoes: puck-size oven fries with creamy insides and unimaginably crunchy exteriors that will make you swoon. The natural starches of the russets help turn the surfaces of the partially cooked potato orbs floury, and that scuffed-up exterior transforms into a crackling crust when it hits the hot fat. Seat yourself close to the serving bowl—these are going to go fast. Bonus: The fluffy insides are perfect for sopping up gravy.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    8 servings

Ingredients

5

lb. russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2" pieces

Kosher salt

½

cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼

cup vegetable oil

8

garlic cloves, lightly crushed

2

long sprigs rosemary

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes in a large pot and pour in water to cover by 2". Season water generously with salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently until potatoes are tender on the outside but still very firm in the center, 8–10 minutes.

    Step 2

    Pour off all of the water in pot, holding potatoes back (make sure there's no liquid left!). Let potatoes sit, uncovered, for a few minutes to steam off any excess liquid they've absorbed. Toss potatoes just enough to rough up their outsides and give them a floury starchy coating (do not toss so vigorously that they fall apart); season with salt.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, combine both oils in a large roasting pan and heat in oven 10 minutes.

    Step 4

    Carefully remove pan from oven; add potatoes, turning each one to coat and moisten exterior. Make sure they're in a single layer and leave a bit of space between them. Return pan to oven and roast potatoes, turning every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes (if they aren't browning after 15 minutes, increase oven temperature to 450°).

    Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski

    Step 5

    Toss in garlic and rosemary and cook until potatoes are deep golden brown on most of their sides, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a platter and serve with roasted garlic and rosemary alongside.

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Reviews (53)

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  • This is just a rehashing of kenji’s recipe.

    • Anonymous

    • 11/16/2021

  • These are my family’s favorite way to eat potatoes. You can improvise with the spices if you’re short on fresh herbs (dried Rosemary, dried thyme, and garlic powder are fine - though along with the salt and pepper, I have to use more than I would have thought). One word of warning, though - I shattered glass casserole dish last night, when I placed the heated vessel on top of a cold quartz countertop. I transitioned to a cold metal pan with oil - and the potatoes did not seem worse for wear for NOT being placed into hot oil. I will probably skip that step going forward.

    • Zoe

    • Houston, TX

    • 2/21/2021

  • Very good--be generous with the salt and all will be well! Also, really make sure not to crowd the potatoes to make sure they crisp versus steaming. They were deliciously crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.

    • Anonymous

    • 9/23/2020

  • This is such a fantastic recipe! I know my oven releases a lot of heat, so I had to bump it up to broil in order to get the crispiness I wanted. I will definitely be using this recipe for my leftover potatoes, and I can't wait to cook it again!

    • cumin_enthusiast

    • Nashville, TN

    • 8/31/2020

  • The only way I want to make potatoes from now on! The outside was crispier than I could have dreamed

    • Alixandra Zaremby

    • Philadelphia

    • 4/23/2020

  • Really, really good. Need to adhere to 2'' pieces to fit all the potatoes in one pan. Or split across a couple pans if you want a higher crust-to-fluff ratio.

    • Anonymous

    • San Francisco

    • 4/9/2020

  • I should have heeded the advice of the reviewer who recommended a larger roasting pan and a test run before making these for Christmas dinner. They didn't brown - too crowded in pan - and didn't have much flavor. I've used a similar recipe with Yukons boiled in salt and baking soda, then roasted with a garlic/rosemary infused oil on a very large baking sheet - delicious. Guests expected better from me since I cooked the Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Mashed with Crispety Crunchies for Thanksgiving dinner - oh, well! On to St. Patrick's Day!!!

    • Anonymous

    • New London, PA

    • 12/27/2019