Porchetta-Spiced Roasted Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil potatoes before roasting? ›

Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven. What does baking soda do to potatoes? It makes the water alkaline which helps break down the surface of the potato and helps make your potatoes crispy!

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Preheat the fat. While the potatoes parboil, add the oil or butter to the roasting pan, transfer it to the warm oven, and heat it for about 5 minutes before adding the potatoes. This allows the outside of the potatoes to crisp up nicely and not just absorb the cold fat when you put them in the oven.

The best side dishes to serve with porchetta are roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables, polenta, mashed sweet potatoes, crispy green beans, stuffed shells, Caprese salad, blistered tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, risotto, glazed carrots, garlic bread and caramelized onions.

While all sorts of potatoes are delicious when roasted in the oven, Yukon Gold potatoes are arguably the best potatoes for roasting for many reasons. Yukon Gold potatoes have the perfect amount of starch, which means they soften well in the oven, while their partially waxy texture helps them maintain their shape.

A: First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.

A general rule of thumb is to parboil potatoes until they are fork-tender but not falling apart, this can range anywhere from 15 minutes for small potatoes to 25-30 minutes for large whole potatoes.

I wouldn't bother doing potatoes from the raw state, without soaking. It will take about a half an hour and the texture won't be nearly as rewarding. They just don't get very crispy without that cold soak.

Neutral, low-cost oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., work well for roasting. These oils have a high smoke point, allowing the potatoes to get very hot to achieve maximum crispiness.

Why do my roast potatoes taste watery? ›

If the potato can't shed that moisture it will absorb some of it and over a period of time will end up with lower solids.

The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying. Additionally, the vinegar can contribute to a golden-brown color on the exterior of the fries.

Across Italy, porchetta is usually sold by pitchmen with their typically white-painted vans, especially during public displays or holidays, and it can be served in a panino. It's a common street food in Rome, and Lazio served as a filling for pizza bianca ( lit. 'white pizza').

Lightly score the skin and fat in a crosshatch pattern using a sharp knife. Flip over the meat and lay it open like a book, fat-side down on the work table with the flappiest side closest to you.

The main benefit to boiling before roasting in my opinion is a crispier, craggier exterior on your finished potatoes. Boiling them creates additional texture on the outsides as they soften slightly, which then crisps in the oven. That said, I don't usually bother! I'd rather save the time and extra dishes most nights.

And even if recipes don't call for it, sometimes the recipe is quick and tastier if you boil the potatoes first, anyway. Start with cold water and salt (so the potato gains flavor as it cooks). And whatever size or type of potato you're boiling, you'll want everything to be of a similar size so they cook evenly.

Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.