If you want your food to be crispy, you’re probably thinking of this complex culinary formula – “more heat equals more crispiness”. After all, the hotter the area your food is exposed to, the crispier it will become, right? But if your potatoes are already in the oven and they still aren’t crispy, what’s wrong?
The answer, RealSimple explains, is that you must first “preheat” your pan to the desired temperature to roast your potatoes. Although the outlet suggests leaving your pan in the oven for 10 minutes, they also note that this is a “forgivable” process, so you can leave your pan until you feel like it is warm enough. By heating the surface of the pan, the potatoes will begin to cook as soon as they touch the surface, rather than having to cook after a few minutes in the oven. As a result, the potatoes get that golden brown color faster.
serious eating suggests a more complex way of producing crispy roast potatoes of British origin. This involves first boiling the potatoes, tossing them in a fat, like goose or duck fat, then roasting them for a crispy, tough exterior and a soft, moist interior. This is recommended for those with more free time than the faster process offered by RealSimple.
