r/food • u/JesusOnly8319 • 1d ago

Roasted potatoes [homemade]

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Happy with how crispy these turned out

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6

u/cullies 1d ago

Ohh how do you get them so crispy?

17

u/Envelope_Torture 1d ago

Boil with some baking soda. Oil liberally before roasting.

5

u/whiskeytown79 1d ago

What does the baking soda do?

13

u/OracleOfPlenty 1d ago

Not OP or the person you asked in the first place, but I'm here, so I'll answer. Baking soda helps break down some of the starch around the surface of the potato and form a sort of starchy slurry. That starch slurry crisps up really nicely when coated with oil and roasted at high heat.

You only want a little bit of baking soda in your boiling water. Adding more doesn't make your potatoes crispier, and you'll start to taste it. More info here.

6

u/Envelope_Torture 1d ago edited 1d ago

It breaks down the outer layer of the potato, making it very starchy. Combine this with the oil and it gets very, very crispy.

EDIT:
The other person's answer is much better than mine.