Crispy Potato Wedges In Oven With Herbs

Imagine crispy exterior with a fluffy potato inside with a salty, herby flavor - these crispy potato wedges are roasted in the oven with delicious herbs like rosemary and sage for that ultimate comfort food! 

 

 

They are perfect with a dip like tzatziki or muhammara for a snack, or next to lemon chicken for weeknights or a garlic steak or rack of lamb on date night. So, so versatile and so, SO good. 

 

These potatoes are also perfect as part of a Super Bowl or Game Day platter! There is always room for a deliciously crispy potato dish. I'd also serve some fluffy pizza rolls, and za'atar naan with all the condiments like guacamole, tzatziki, and tomato aïoli!

 

Ingredients

 

There are just a handful of ingredients that make this recipe absolutely amazing! 

 

Potatoes

The most important part of this recipe is to choose the right potato. However, there isn't just one right answer here, there are many potatoes that can work! You should be looking for starchy or all-purpose potatoes as they are highly absorbent (aka more flavor and more crisp!). I talk a little bit more about this in my fried patatas bravas (Spanish potatoes) recipe. 

 

I've found that fingerling potatoes are perfect as potato wedges, but other starchy potatoes that can work are russet, Kerrs Pink and Maris Piper. However, good all-purpose potatoes to choose are Yukon gold or Asterix potatoes. 

 

Truth be told, I also love new potatoes for this dish, which is a waxy potato. So honestly, just go for whatever potato you like! Just remember that waxy potatoes are said to be good for roasting because they hold their shape well, whereas starchy potatoes are good for frying because they are absorbent. 

 

 

So the question is;

do you want a pretty potato or a delicious potato?

 

Ok, maybe not that extreme. Most potatoes work well here.

 

The other ingredients

• Olive oil: for that delicious crisp! If crisp is your thing, you shouldn't skimp on the oil. However, you don't need much to roast potatoes, but extra crispy potatoes do require some oil. 
• Herbs: I love to use fresh sage because they are so good when fried (that's why I also add them as a topping for my pumpkin gnocchi), and rosemary is so good with potatoes as well. You can use whatever herbs you like, and I often also go for parsley and/or thyme.
• Salt: For potatoes to taste exceptionally well, we need quite a lot of salt. Potatoes soak up the flavor really well, that is also why we salt the water they boil in. The amount of Maldon salt you want afterwards, is a matter of taste though. 
• Pepper: Freshly cracked pepper, always freshly cracked.

 

Variations

 

The variations boils down to spices and herbs in this recipe. You could go for any herb or spice you like, or perhaps start with a cuisine and then go from there. For example;

 

• Greek potatoes with a little lemon juice and fresh oregano
• Tunisian potatoes with chilli, cumin and coriander seeds
• Middle Eastern with za'atar and oregano/thyme, or Arabic 7 spice for an earthier flavor
• Southwest with chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and garlic
• Indian with curry powder, mild or hot or both! And extra turmeric, because yum.

 

 

I could go on for pretty much every country or area. Potatoes are extremely versatile and it's hard to go wrong!

 

Tips for extra crispy potato wedges

 

For potatoes to get extra crispy whilst being baked in an oven, it is crucial that the potatoes are dry prior to roasting. However, because we like fluffy interiors to a potato, boiling them a little before ensures the best consistency (also known as parboiling).

 

That is why it is so important to dry the potatoes well before adding them to a baking pan to roast. 

 

What I do is I boil the wedges for 5 minutes in salted water, then drain the potatoes in a colander, then I add the colander back on top of the now-empty casserole, take the heat off but let the casserole stand on the residual heat for 5 minutes or so.

 

Make sure you occasionally shake the colander so that everything dries out.

 

Another tip is to have high temperature on the oven when you are baking. Because you have parboiled the potatoes, you can get away with a higher heat and the potatoes will still get done inside before burning the outside. I like to use 430F° (220C°), but you can use higher if you like. 

 

 

Another thing to avoid is to overcrowd the baking sheet. If you do, the potatoes will steam in the oven instead of crisping up. Make sure every potato wedge has space!

 

Another trick for extra crispy potatoes is to soak them in cold water for an hour before boiling them. That way you get rid of some excess starch. I do that for my crispy patatas bravas, but generally I don't feel the need for it because they get more than crispy enough.

 

Other roasted crispy potatoes are these delicious turmeric potatoes!

 

What to serve with crispy potatoes

 

So some argue that roasted potatoes are the side, however that is often the main for me! When I'm thinking of what I want for dinner, I very often start with a starch. Do I want rice? Do I want pasta? No, right now I want roasted potato wedges.

 

Oh well, these potatoes work really well with pretty much anything. 

• Beef: hard to beat this with a juicy garlic steak and béarnaise sauce for a date night
• Chicken: for example lemon chicken or Moroccan chicken for weeknights and orange pepper whole chicken for special occasions
• Lamb: Like these delicious herb-crusted rack of lamb
• Any other meat, like pork, or fish (like this halibut for example!). 
• Sometimes I just really crave a fresh salad and crispy potatoes (and dips of course, read below). To be fancy (-ish) you could go for a fennel grapefruit salad, grilled peach salad or just a simple arugula salad.

 

 

Best dips to serve with them

 

Potatoes are made for dipping! My favorite ones are definitely creamy ones:

• Mayonnaise (especially with a little garlic powder in it)
• Tzatziki or raita
• Spicy tomato aïoli
• Bang bang sauce
• Loaded baked potato dip
• Burger sauce
• Beer cheese dip
• Compound butters
• Or the super easy pickle dip I have in the recipe card notes!

 

But there are many others that are yummy too:

• Muhammara (especially if you go with the Tunisian or Middle Eastern style potatoes above!)
• Avocado sauce or guacamole
• Honey mustard dressing
• Chimichurri

 

Just pick your poison!

 

 

How to make it

 

Start by pre-heating the oven to 430F° (220C°). Then parboil the potato wedges. Add potato wedges and 1 teaspoon salt to a casserole and top with water so all the potatoes are submerged. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes then pour into a colander.

 

To dry out the potatoes for maximum crisp, put the colander back on top of the casserole, but turn the heat off. Let the potato wedges dry out, occasionally shake the colander.

 

 

Pour the potatoes on to a baking sheet and combine with the other ingredients, apart from Maldon salt. Roast on the middle rack for about 30-40 minutes or until golden and crispy. You should stir and carefully flip the potatoes halfway through baking.

 

They are done at about 15-20 minutes, but by continuing to roast they get crispier and crispier, you just have to keep an eye on the herbs. If you know you want super crisp potatoes, don’t add the herbs until halfway through baking (when you are stirring anyway), so that they don’t get much more than 20-30 minutes bake time.

 

Sprinkle generously with Maldon salt after baking, if desired. Enjoy!

 

Next time you can try your hands at zucchini fries!

 

 

Did you like this recipe? Here are more potato recipes for you:

 

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