A fool-proof recipe for baked potato wedges that are crispy and crackly on the outside with fluffy, flavor-packed insides and the cooking technique that gets you both!
JUMP TO RECIPEI was leafing through an old community cookbook and came across a recipe for “Russian Banquet Potatoes” which caught my eye.
There were no photos in the book but what drew my attention was the words bake and boil both appearing in the recipe so I thought… well, which is it? I couldn’t imagine it would be both so… what gives??
The recipe called to first parboil the potatoes and then bake them and I thought… pffft ain’t nobody got time for that.
But something about it kept niggling at me so I started digging and found that many cooks claim this is the secret to perfect roasted potatoes. That the technique yields soft, fluffy insides and crispy, seasoned outsides.
I’ve always just baked potato wedges and quite like them! But the more I read, the more I had to concede that the insides are usually pretty dense and a little waxy.
And if the only thing standing in the way of potato perfection was boiling water, then why wouldn’t I?
Well, one rainy day and a 10-lb bag of potatoes had me in the kitchen experimenting!
In my research I discovered technique varied significantly. Some folks said start with boiling water, then add the potatoes, some said start with cold. Some insisted peeling the potatoes, some insisted not. Some said add vinegar, some said add baking soda. Some said slow roast, some said to cook hot and fast.
So I decided to apply what I know in my own head from my own experience and went from there!
The end result was crispy, fluffy potato wedges with TONS of flavor (you can really taste the potatoes) that were well worth the effort!
And of course, we have to serve these with our favorite dipping sauce, Shut Yo’ Mouth Sauce!
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF POTATO FOR ROASTED OR BAKED POTATO WEDGES?
Starchier potatoes are best for baked or roasted potatoes because they yield fluffier centers with crispier, crunchier outsides.
Russett and Yukon Gold potatoes are best for roasted or baked potato wedges. Russets will have the crispiest outsides so they’re my #1 choice. Yukon Gold will look more delicious because the higher sugar content will cause them to brown more gorgeously, but they’ll be slightly less crisp.
Medium-sized potatoes are best for potato wedges as the pieces will be more uniform in size (no long thin ends or overly thick centers).
WHY DO YOU BOIL POTATOES FIRST WHEN MAKING ROASTED OR BAKED POTATO WEDGES?
One reason is taste. When we boil the potatoes in salted water, they absorb the salt which flavors them from the inside out.
Boiling the potatoes first ensures creamy, fluffy, potato-flavor-packed insides with crispier, crunchier outsides.
Boiling the potatoes also helps create a thin crust from the starchy mash that will coat the wedges (see those little bubbled up areas? that’s potato gold!). If you really love that, add a teaspoon of baking soda when boiling the potatoes as it will cause the starch to break down more quickly.
A FEW NOTES ON COOKING THESE ROASTED POTATO WEDGES
The amount of salt used boiling the potatoes depends on how much water you need to cover the potatoes. You want 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of water.
It really isn’t too much salt. The potatoes aren’t going to absorb as much salty water as they would if we were cooking them through.
If your stove takes forever to boil water, cover the pot until the potatoes are boiling. The potatoes will start to cook before the water is fulling boiling. Since we’re aiming to only boil these 3 minutes, get that water boiling as quickly as you can.
Whether you peel the wedges or not is completely up to you. I actually prefer them with the peel but the batch I made the day I took these photos was peeled.
The age of your potato may have some bearing on how long you’ll need to cook them. Older potatoes have more starch so they will brown more quickly than newer potatoes.
Recipe for Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
Curious about the dipping sauce in some of the pictures? That's my family's favorite - SHUT YO' MOUTH FRY SAUCE - and we put it on just about everything!
Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 3 pounds medium russet potatoes
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Oil & Spice Mixture
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Peel potatoes if desired (completely optional). Slice potatoes into wedges (usually about 8-10 wedges per medium-sized potato).
- Add potatoes to a medium-large saucepan (5-qt is perfect) then cover with 6 cups of water. Add salt. You want 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of water. If you need more water to cover the potatoes, add salt accordingly.
- Heat over high heat until boiling then boil potatoes for 3 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Drain potatoes completely then let rest until no longer steaming. You can leave them in the colander or spread them onto a clean, dry pan but they MUST NOT be sitting in water. They need to dry some and stop steaming before proceeding to the next step. Note: the potatoes need to stop steaming so that we know they’ve released excess moisture but they don’t need to get cold and dried out.
- Combine ingredients for Oil & Spice Mixture then mix vigorously with a fork or whisk.
- Combine parboiled potatoes with Oil & Spice Mixture then gently stir to coat using a rubber spatula.
- Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray then arrange potato wedges in a single layer.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip wedges then continue baking for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- The amount of salt used boiling the potatoes depends on how much water you need to cover the potatoes. You want 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of water.
- If your stove takes forever to boil water, cover the pot until the potatoes are boiling. The potatoes will start to cook before the water is fulling boiling. Since we’re aiming to only boil these 3 minutes, get that water boiling as quickly as you can.
- Whether you peel the wedges or not is completely up to you. I actually prefer them with the peel but the batch I made the day I took these photos was peeled.
- The age of your potato may have some bearing on how long you’ll need to cook them. Older potatoes have more starch so they will brown more quickly than newer potatoes.
