The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes Ever

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on size
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, duck fat, goose fat, or beef fat
• Small handful picked rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Small handful fresh parsley leaves, minced

Directions

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven, then heat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C; if you are using convection, set it to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C. In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 quarts (2L) water to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons kosher salt (about 1 ounce; 25g), the baking soda, and the potatoes. Bring everything back up to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until a knife slides into a potato piece with barely any pushback, about 10 minutes after the water returns to boiling.
2. While the potatoes cook, put the olive oil, duck fat, or beef fat in a small saucepan with the rosemary, garlic, and a few grinds of black pepper. Warm it over medium heat, stirring and jostling the pan the whole time, until the garlic is just starting to color, about 3 minutes. Right away, pour the oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Save the garlic and rosemary mixture separately.
3. Once the potatoes are tender, drain them gently, then leave them in the pot for about 30 seconds so the extra steam can escape. Add them to the large bowl with the infused oil, sprinkle in a little more salt and pepper to taste, and toss hard enough to rough up the edges. You want the potato pieces coated in a thick, mashed potato-like layer.
4. Move the potatoes onto a large rimmed baking sheet, spreading them into an even layer with space between the pieces. Roast them without disturbing them for 20 minutes. Use a thin, flexible metal spatula to loosen any potatoes that have grabbed onto the pan, then shake the pan and flip the potatoes. Return them to the oven and keep roasting until they are deeply browned and crisp on all sides, shaking and turning them a few times as they cook, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
5. Scrape the potatoes into a large bowl, then add the reserved garlic and rosemary mixture along with the minced parsley. Toss everything together, adjust with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.