Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Looking to make crispy potatoes for a crowd? Try this method: parboil the potatoes first; then slice and roast them at high heat with olive oil and salt. Showered with herbs, they’re irresistible, and best of all they reheat well should you need to get prep work done ahead of time.

For years, I made fingerling potatoes one and only one way: parboiled; then pan-seared and showered with rosemary and thyme. I learned the method, which produces well-seasoned, perfectly textured potatoes every time, while working at Fork, where the line cooks would crisp up the sliced, par-boiled potatoes stovetop to order.

And this is where that method shines: small-batch cooking.

But what if you want to make crispy fingerling potatoes for a crowd? Pan-searing large batches of potatoes is not ideal — crowding the pan prevents the potatoes from browning properly, and standing at the stovetop monitoring batch after batch takes time.

A few months ago, I experimented with making a larger batch of potatoes, replacing the pan-sear with a high-heat roast. After slicing 3 pounds of cooled, parboiled fingerling potatoes, I spread them onto a sheetpan, dressed them with olive oil and salt, then placed them in the oven at 550ºF convection roast for 20 minutes.

It worked beautifully: the potatoes emerged crisp but tender with golden surfaces all around. Showered with fresh rosemary and chives, they were irresistible, and they looked pretty to boot.

If you are thinking about serving potatoes for a holiday gathering this weekend but aren’t quite up for making a gratin or a mash, I think you’ll find this recipe a godsend. The parboiled potatoes can be made hours or days ahead of time, and the fully cooked potatoes reheat beautifully, too. See the notes in the recipe on how to do so.

Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Step by Step

This recipe is written for 3 pounds of potatoes but you can easily scale it up or down depending on your needs. It seems as though stores typically sell fingerlings in 1.5 lb bags. Whole Foods:

Hannafords. I actually prefer these non-multicolored fingerling potatoes, and I prefer small-ish fingerling potatoes, which are hard to find outside of farmer’s markets.

Place the potatoes in a pot with a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme and a lot of salt:

Cover with cold water and place on the stovetop:

Bring to a simmer:

Then immediately turn off the heat and let the potatoes cool completely in the water. It will take about an hour for the potatoes to cool but you can do this hours ahead of time or even a full day ahead of time.

Once cool, drain the potatoes:

Cut the potatoes on the bias into half-inch pieces:

Transfer to a sheet pan and dress with olive oil and kosher salt. Transfer to the oven for 15-20 minutes at 550ºF convection roast (if possible).

Meanwhile, gather some herbs:

Chop them finely:

Remove the potatoes from the oven…

… then add the herbs:

Use a spatula to release the potatoes from the pan and toss with the herbs:

Taste and adjust with more herbs to taste and more salt if necessary. Transfer to a serving platter.

Also works with other small potatoes. These are baby “golds”:

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