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Pan Fried Crispy Potatoes

Crispy fried potatoes ready to eat.
Do you ever wonder how restaurants achieve a crispy texture on perfectly cooked food? The answer is two-part cooking processes.

Getting a crispy outer edge requires very high heat which often works too quickly to fully cook the inside of the food. In this recipe, you will use a two-step cooking process to get perfectly golden crispy potatoes with a creamy interior. These can be served as a side or on their own with aioli or a tomato condiment.

Slicing potatoes in half.
Ingredients
1 lbpotatoes such as Satina
high heat oil (olive oil works but it is easier to accidentally overheat)
salt
parsley to garnish

First, you will cook the potatoes until they are just done. Put them in a pot of generously salted water. It takes quite a bit of salt in the water to penetrate to the center of the potato, so think of something close to pasta water (as salty as the sea). Bring to a boil from room temperature or cold. Test the potatoes with a fork. When they are tender to the center but the skins haven’t started to break, they are done! Remove and let cool, placing them in the refrigerator if you like.

Tip: You want to bring the potatoes up to temperature with the water instead of dropping them into boiling water. Otherwise, the outside will cook faster than the inside.

When you are ready to serve, heat a good amount of oil in a saute pan. A well-seasoned cast-iron is great for this because it can hold steady heat. You are going for an oil temperature of about 350 degrees so don’t use an oil that will smoke at lower temperatures. Olive oil can be used here, but be careful to not let it get hotter than necessary. Slice the potatoes in half and place them face down in the oil when it is shimmering.

Cook the potatoes until they are golden brown on the face. You can flip them over and crisp the skins as well if you like. While they may initially stick (unless you are using a non-stick pan) – if the oil is hot enough they will begin to release from the pan once they are ready. Remove and place on a paper towel to catch excess oil. Sprinkle with a little more salt if needed.

Serve immediately with chopped parsley and something delicious to dip them in!