Shatteringly crispy roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic

• 1 kg yukon gold potatoespeeled, cut into roughly 5cm (2-inch) chunks
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 3 fresh rosemary sprigssprigs, leaves stripped and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic clovescloves, finely grated
• ½ tsp flaky sea saltfor finishing
• ½ tsp black pepperfreshly cracked

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) fan, or 240°C (465°F) conventional. Place the sheet pan in the oven while it preheats — you want that pan ripping hot.

   Tip: A hot pan is the single biggest factor for crispy bottoms. Don't skip this.

2. 2

   Add the potato chunks to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the fine sea salt and baking soda. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the edges of the potatoes look slightly fuzzy and a knife slides in with very little resistance.

   Tip: The baking soda raises the pH of the water, which breaks down the potato surfaces faster. This creates more starchy slurry on the outside — and that's what turns into crispy gold in the oven.

3. 3

   Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them steam dry for 2 minutes. Then shake the colander vigorously 5-6 times to rough up the edges. You want the surfaces to look ragged and fluffy, almost like they're falling apart — that's perfect.

   Tip: Don't be gentle. Those rough, starchy edges are what crisp up. If a few small bits break off, even better — they'll turn into the crispiest little nuggets on the pan.

4. 4

   Carefully remove the screaming hot sheet pan from the oven. Pour 45ml of the olive oil onto the pan and tilt to coat evenly. Tumble the potatoes onto the pan in a single layer, leaving space between each piece. Don't crowd them.

   Tip: You should hear a satisfying sizzle when the potatoes hit the oiled pan. If you don't, the pan wasn't hot enough.

5. 5

   Roast for 25 minutes without touching them. Resist the urge to peek or flip — the bottoms are building a serious crust. After 25 minutes, use a spatula to flip each potato. They should release easily and have a deep golden, crispy underside. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes until golden and crispy all over.

   Tip: If a potato sticks when you try to flip it, it's not ready yet. Give it another 3-4 minutes and try again.

6. 6

   While the potatoes finish their final 15 minutes, combine the remaining 15ml of olive oil with the grated garlic and chopped rosemary in a small bowl. The residual heat from the fresh-out-of-the-oven potatoes will bloom the garlic and rosemary without burning them.

7. 7

   Pull the potatoes from the oven and immediately spoon the garlic-rosemary oil over them, tossing gently to coat. Season with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. The aroma will be unreal.

   Tip: Adding raw garlic-rosemary oil at the end keeps the flavors bright and punchy. Roasting garlic for 40 minutes would mellow it out too much. Leftovers reheat well — spread on a sheet pan and blast at 220°C for 8-10 minutes to re-crisp.

• sheet pan (half-sheet (18x13 inch))
• large pot (4-liter (4-quart))
• colander

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.