5/30/21

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges

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! 

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I 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.

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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?

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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.

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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!

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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).

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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. 

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges! 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!

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

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
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!

Ingredients

Perfect Roasted Potato Wedges
  • 3 pounds medium russet potatoes
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Oil & Spice Mixture
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

  1. Peel potatoes if desired (completely optional). Slice potatoes into wedges (usually about 8-10 wedges per medium-sized potato).
  2. 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.
  3. Heat over high heat until boiling then boil potatoes for 3 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  5. 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.
  6. Combine ingredients for Oil & Spice Mixture then mix vigorously with a fork or whisk.
  7. Combine parboiled potatoes with Oil & Spice Mixture then gently stir to coat using a rubber spatula.
  8. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray then arrange potato wedges in a single layer.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
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side dishes, vegetables
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3 comments:

  1. I've used a similar cooking method for making French fries and smashed potatoes. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to make wedges. Definitely going to try this!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've always wondered why my homemade wedges were just meh. I can't wait to try this method!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Super yummy!!! These are delicious. I boiled mine for 5 min. because I didn't hear the timer. Don't do that, just boil for the 3 mins. Mine were crispier because I was waiting for my husband to bbq the hamburgers. They were still great. My husband like fries really crispy so they came out perfect for him. Definitely a keeper!!

    ReplyDelete

Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy