Daily Kitchen Note
Roasted potatoes can brown before developing a deeply craggy crust. Parboiling large chunks in lightly alkaline water, then roughing their surfaces before roasting, creates more crispable starch at the edges.
How to Parboil in mildly alkaline water and roughen
- Follow a tested recipe using Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes cut into large chunks.
- Add the recipe’s measured baking soda and salt to boiling water, then simmer the potatoes until a knife meets little resistance, about 10 minutes in the cited method.
- Drain carefully and let excess moisture evaporate briefly.
- Toss the potatoes firmly with the measured fat until a starchy coating forms on their surfaces.
- Spread on a rimmed sheet and roast at high heat, turning after the crust has set, until deeply browned.
Why it works
Baking soda raises the water’s pH and accelerates pectin breakdown on the potato surface. Rough tossing turns that softened exterior into a starchy paste that crisps in the oven.
