Oven-Roasted Potatoes

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour

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You can oven-roast any kind of potato. Waxy potatoes will form a brown, crisp crust and, as long as you cook them long enough, a creamy interior, while starchy varieties will tend to darken more easily, not become quite as crisp, and turn very, very soft. Both are delicious. You can prepare this with butter instead of oil; if you do, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Other vegetables you can use: any root vegetable, winter squash, or tropical tuber

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 pounds potatoes
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with a little of the oil. It should be large enough to hold all the potatoes in a single layer without overcrowding.
2. Scrub the potatoes; peel them if you like. Make sure they’re fairly dry. Cut them into chunks of equal size, anywhere from 1 to 2 inches. Put them in the pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Roast, undisturbed, for 20 minutes before checking the first time. If the potatoes release easily from the pan, stir them a bit or turn the pieces over with tongs. If they look too dry and are sticking, drizzle with a little more oil and toss. Continue roasting, turning every 10 minutes or so, until crisp on the outside and tender inside, another 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of potato and how large the chunks are. The potatoes are done when a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into a piece meets almost no resistance.
4. Taste, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Oven-Roasted “Fries” Not as crisp as French Fries (page 242), but close, and much easier and lighter. Use this or any of the other variations to make sweet potato fries: Cut the potatoes, peeled or not, into French fry–style batons. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Brush the potatoes with the oil and spread out on the baking sheets without crowding. Proceed with the recipe. Overall cook time will be 30 to 40 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Cottage “Fries” So substantial you can eat them like meat: Cut the potatoes, peeled or not, lengthwise into paddles about ¼ inch thick or even a little thicker. Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Brush the potatoes with the oil and spread out on the baking sheets without crowding. Proceed with the recipe. Overall cook time will be 30 to 40 minutes.

Crisp Oven-Roasted Cottage “Fries” with Garlic Follow the preceding variation. Use a combination of butter and olive oil, at least 2 tablespoons of each. While the potatoes are roasting, mince several cloves of garlic and mix them with a tablespoon or so olive oil. When the fries are nearly done, add the garlic and toss, then return to the oven for a final crisping, which will soften the garlic and turn it golden.

Oven-Roasted Hash Browns Breakfast potatoes without much fuss: Increase the oil to 3 tablespoons. Peel the potatoes, then shred them on the largest holes of a box grater or with the shredding disk of a food processor. Proceed with the recipe, resisting the urge to mess with the potatoes frequently. When they’re tender and crisp on the bottom, use a spatula to turn large portions over and press them down a bit like diner hash browns. Roast until the other side has browned and crisped.