The French Method for Show-Stopping Roasted Potatoes (2025)

FAQs

How to stop potatoes from sticking when roasting? ›

Use parchment paper– non stick foil, or baking sheets will not do the trick. Parchment paper allows the potatoes to roast without sticking! Evenly spread out the potatoes – Don't stack them on top of one another – spread your potatoes out on the baking sheet and try not to overcrowd them.

One method to avoid this is to peel the potatoes, place in water covering the potatoes, remove and slice on a cutting board with a knife that is steel (some blades have iron in them and till will turn the potato dark). Then place back in water, drain and dry before cooking on a shallow aluminum tray.

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.

Soak in hot water — Soaking the wedges in water removes some of the potato starch, which is what causes the sticking. Use a heavy nonstick baking sheet — This is our favorite trick. Using a heavy nonstick baking sheet really helps — if you have one, we recommend it.

The trick is never to put the flat side down in the fat first, always roast them flat side up (flat side being the side where you've cut in half) if you do that no matter if you put them in hot or cold, fat, oil or anything else they will never stick.

TOP CLEAN TIP! Roast potatoes and meat in particular are hazardous but by using a roasting bag or wrap, you can keep the splatter-zone to a minimum and also cut down on the washing up.

When slicing the potatoes place into water with a little acidity to keep them from turning gray. A small amount of white wine vinegar of lemon will do the trick. Then drain and place the potatoes in foil along with your spices and some olive oil or vegetable oil. Wrap up tight and refrigerate, then grill.

If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks. To parboil your potatoes to perfection, cut them into large chunks and put them in a pot of boiling water for around ten minutes, depending on the size.

Try dunking your potato slices in salted water as the combination of water and salt keeps oxidation at bay. For every gallon of water, add about one teaspoon of salt to a large bowl or stockpot. Add the potatoes and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

How does Gordon Ramsay cook roast potatoes? ›

Carefully add the potatoes to the hot tray along with the garlic and rosemary. Toss to coat in the fat and spread out in a single layer so they cook evenly. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve.

Keep potatoes crisp in a warm oven if you're serving them in 1-2 hours. If there is a slight wait before everyone eats, don't cover the crispy potatoes—this traps steam which will make the potatoes soggy. Just keep them in the oven, but turn the temperature to the lowest setting.

According to Darina Allen, after peeling, we should dry the potatoes meticulously with a tea-towel or kitchen paper. "Otherwise, even when tossed in fat or oil, they will stick to the roasting tin.

TIP: parchment paper is better to prevent sticking, but aluminum foil yields crispier results. If you use foil, you'll want to lightly grease it to prevent the potatoes from sticking. Note that even if you do that, they may still stick.

Preheat oven and toss potatoes with oil:

Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil prevents the potatoes from sticking to the sheet and makes cleanup easier.

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.

Start by incorporating the butter into the potatoes (this is best done with melted butter, which will coat them evenly without having to be stirred vigorously); the fat coats the starch in the potatoes, preventing it from interacting with the water in the milk once that is added.

First, we recommend lining a prepared baking pan with oil or parchment paper to avoid sticking and make cleaning up easier. Then, put vegetables in a single layer on the pan by lifting them out of the bowl with a spoon, clean hands, etc. Don't pour the veggies directly from the bowl to the pan!

Here's how this sticky state of affairs happens: Cooking causes the starch granules within the potato cells to absorb water and swell. Some cells will inevitably burst, releasing tacky gel that helps give mashed potatoes their cohesiveness.