Parboiling Isn't Actually Necessary For The Crispiest Potatoes

There's this supposed rule when it comes to crispy roast potatoes that they need to be dunked into boiling water before going in the oven, and no one ever questions it. And yes, parboiling is often cited as the trick for restaurant quality roast potatoes, but the truth is that you can actually get that same golden crunch without it. It all comes down to water (or lack thereof) and heat (lots of it). Raw potatoes have quite a bit of water in them, and too much of that means no crispiness. So after chopping your potatoes, make sure you give them a dry with a clean kitchen towel, then let them air dry or pop them in the fridge overnight.

Then, heat them. Warm the oil up so it's hot and shimmery before the potatoes go in. Once they go in and make that loud sizzling sound, you'll know you're on your way to some real crunch. Don't forget pan space, too, because any touching or overlapping potatoes will only create steam which will create sogginess. Each potato needs its own little spot to crisp up in. Finally, make sure you are choosing the right potatoes, because higher-starch varieties will brown much more happily.

If we've convinced you to go down the no-parboil route, there are a few more extra steps you can take to ensure you're going to get the best results. If you're cooking on the skillet, start with equal sized pieces of potato (they'll cook evenly that way) and leave them alone when they first enter the hot oil for a few minutes. They need that uninterrupted time with the heat to build a good crust. Trust us: The best texture comes from patience. Once the bottoms are a deep golden hue, it's time to flip them and repeat on the other side. Another good trick is to add a sprinkle of salt quite early in the process, as this will remove extra moisture from the potatoes before they make them soft. 

If you follow all these steps, you'll end up with crispy potatoes that are just as great as they'd be if you'd parboiled them first — just without the extra pan and all that waiting for the water to boil. If crispy potatoes are your jam, then check out our other tips for crispy potatoes, although we're sure the basics here will do the job just fine.