Chef-tested recipe
Crispy roasted potatoes with fluffy centres, fresh rosemary and garlic-infused olive oil. A simple chef-tested side dish with deep golden edges.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50–55 minutes
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 10 minutes
- Course
- Side Dish
- Cooking Method
- Parboiling and roasting
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best Served With
- Serve alongside roast chicken, grilled steak, lamb, baked fish, mushroom dishes or roasted vegetables. They also work as part of a sharing table with aioli, mustard mayonnaise or a fresh herb sauce. Storage & Reheating Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container. For best quality, use within 2 days. Reheat on a preheated tray at 200°C for about 10–15 minutes, or until piping hot and crisp again. Avoid microwaving if you want to preserve the crust.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Ingredients
- 1,500 g baby or small roasting potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil paid link
- 25 g fresh garlic, finely grated or crushed
- 12 g fresh rosemary leaves, plus a few small sprigs for finishing
- 12 g fine sea salt, divided, plus extra for the cooking water paid link
- 2 g freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Overview
Parboil the potatoes until just tender, drain and allow the surface moisture to evaporate. Lightly crush each potato to expose rough edges. Infuse the olive oil gently with garlic and rosemary, coat the potatoes, then roast at high heat until deeply golden and crisp.
Method
Heat the oven. Preheat to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan. Place a large heavy roasting tray in the oven while it heats.
Parboil the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water with salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for about 15–20 minutes, depending on size, until a knife enters with slight resistance. Do not cook until they are falling apart.
Drain and steam-dry. Drain thoroughly and leave the potatoes in the colander for 5–8 minutes. Surface moisture is the enemy of crisp roasting.
Crush. Transfer the potatoes to a board or tray. Using the base of a small saucepan, potato masher or your palm protected with a folded towel, press each potato just enough to split the skin and flatten it slightly. Keep the potatoes largely intact.
Make the rosemary and garlic olive oil. Put the olive oil, garlic and most of the rosemary in a small saucepan over low heat for 2–3 minutes. The garlic should become aromatic but should not brown. Remove from the heat.
Season. Carefully remove the hot roasting tray. Arrange the potatoes in one layer with space between them. Spoon over the infused oil, including the garlic and rosemary. Season evenly with the measured salt and black pepper.
Roast. Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning the tray once during cooking. For maximum crust, turn individual potatoes only if their undersides are browning unevenly. They are ready when the broken edges are dark golden and crisp and the centres remain fluffy.
Finish and serve. Add the remaining fresh rosemary during the final 5 minutes so it becomes fragrant without burning. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately while the potatoes are crisp. Chef’s Notes The steam-drying step matters. Water left on the potato surface has to evaporate before browning can begin. Crushing the potatoes increases their exposed surface area, creating the irregular crisp edges shown in the photograph. Do not roast raw garlic from the beginning at very high heat without oil protection—it can burn before the potatoes are ready. Gently infusing it in the olive oil first distributes the flavour and helps control the browning. Substitutions – Use Yukon Gold, Maris Piper or another floury/all-purpose roasting potato if baby potatoes are unavailable; cut larger potatoes into even pieces before boiling. – Fresh thyme can replace rosemary for a different herb profile. – For a milder garlic flavour, use whole lightly crushed cloves rather than finely grated garlic.
Allergen Notes
The basic recipe contains no intentionally added major allergens. Check packaged ingredients and consider cross-contact in your kitchen when cooking for anyone with an allergy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why parboil the potatoes first?
Parboiling cooks the centre before roasting and softens the exterior. Once crushed, that softened surface forms the crisp, irregular crust.
Can I prepare them ahead?
Yes. Parboil, drain and crush the potatoes in advance, then refrigerate once cooled. Coat with the rosemary-garlic oil and roast close to serving.
Why are my roasted potatoes not crispy?
The common causes are excess surface moisture, overcrowding the tray, insufficient oven heat or too little roasting time. Give the potatoes room and roast until the exposed edges are genuinely deep golden.
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