I chased the perfect roasted potato for three years. I tried every oil, every temperature, every “secret trick” from YouTube chefs who probably never actually cooked the recipe they were filming. The breakthrough came from a British chef who said one thing that changed everything: “You have to rough them up.”

He was talking about the surface of the potato. Not seasoning. Not oil type. The texture. Here is the full method, tested across probably fifty batches in my own oven.

Choose the Right Potato

Yukon Gold or Russet. That is it. Waxy potatoes like reds or fingerlings will never get truly crispy because they have less starch. Yukon Gold gives you creamy inside with a crispy shell. Russet gives maximum crunch but can dry out inside. I prefer Yukon Gold for the balance.

Parboil With Baking Soda

This is the step nobody tells you. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water. It breaks down the surface of the potato, creating a rough, starchy exterior that crisps up dramatically in the oven. Boil for about eight minutes—until a fork slides in but the potato is not falling apart.

Rough Them Up

Drain the potatoes and put them back in the hot pot. Put the lid on and shake the pot hard for about ten seconds. The potatoes will bash against each other and the sides, creating a mashed, textured surface. This is where the crunch comes from. Do not skip this.

Hot Oil, Hot Pan

While the potatoes are boiling, put your roasting pan in the oven at 425°F with a generous amount of oil—duck fat if you have it, olive oil if you do not. The oil must be smoking hot when the potatoes hit it. Carefully tip the roughed-up potatoes into the hot oil. They should sizzle immediately. If they do not, the pan was not hot enough.

Roast for about 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. Do not overcrowd the pan—give each potato piece space. Crowding steams them instead of crisping.

The first time I served these, my brother-in-law asked which restaurant I ordered from. That is when I knew I had cracked it.