Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Za’atar

Let’s make the crispiest roasted potatoes out there with the help of food science! We’ll use a delicious homemade za’atar spice mix to finish off the crispy roasted potatoes. Vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-friendly.

Who doesn’t love crispy potatoes? Compared to crisps or fries, roasted seems to be the healthiest way to go. The only problem is—it often isn’t nearly as crispy and satisfying. Not this time! J. Kenji López-Alt knocks it out of the park with yet another food science trick to make us foodies’ dreams come true.

Here we’ll combine his genius method with a delicious homemade za’atar spice mix for irresistible results.

What Makes Roasted Potatoes Crispy?

Kenji’s trick mainly comes down to parboiling the potatoes in alkaline water—accomplished with the humble baking soda. The alkaline environment causes pectin on the outside of the potatoes to break down, resulting in more surface area and…more crunch!

Ingredients for Roasted Potatoes

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 lb russet* potatoes, peeled and cut into sixths, or eighths
• 1 1/2 tbsp za’atar spice mix
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp salt (for parboiling)
• 1 tbsp salt (seasoning)
• water

*Yukon Gold variety would work as well, however russet potatoes will yield the crispiest results.

How to Make Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Za’atar

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Boil at least 2 liters (~8 cups) of water per the original recipe. Stir in salt and baking soda.
3. Add in the potatoes and ensure that they are covered by at least 2″ of boiling water.
4. Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. The potatoes are parboiled when a knife or fork can go through a piece with a bit of resistance, should take about 10 minutes.
5. While the potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Add in the za’atar spice mix and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Strain the oil and place in a large bowl. Reserve the rest of the za’atar for later.
7. Drain the potatoes and add to the large bowl with infused olive oil, season to your taste, and toss. Be rough with the toss as we want a mashed potato-like surface on the potatoes.
8. Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet, making sure that each piece is separated. Roast for 20 minutes without moving to set the crust.
9. Flip the potatoes occasionally to brown and crisp them on all sides, this will take an additional 30-40 minutes of roasting.
10. When the potatoes are done roasting season with more salt and pepper to taste and add the reserved za’atar spice mix then toss one last time. Ready to serve! Try with the minty Turkish yogurt dip, haydari.

this recipe is:

• vegan / plant-based
• comforting
• delicious
• budget-friendly
• allergen-friendly & gluten-free
• a must-try!

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Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe! Afiyet olsun (bon appetite)!

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