Why Your Roast Potatoes Never Get Crispy — You're Starting in the Oven

📖 Marcel's Kitchen Fixes — the book (PDF, 22 fixes + a few recipes not on the channel) 👉 https://marcelskitchen.gumroad.com/l/... Why are your roast potatoes never crispy? They come out of the oven golden in places. But press one and there's no crack. The crust never happened. The oven isn't the problem. By the time the potatoes go in, most of the decision has already been made. In this video, I go back to the pot and walk through what has to happen before the oven: why the outside of the potato should look almost overcooked why I do nothing at all after draining why rough, craggy potatoes end up crispier than smooth ones what duck fat actually brings (flavor, not the crunch) why the tray matters more than you'd think THE METHOD, IN SHORT Potatoes: about 4 lb (1.8 kg), cut in large chunks, roughly 2–3 inches. Russet or Yukon Gold both work. Boil in salted water (optional: ½ tsp baking soda) for about 10 minutes, until a knife slides in easily and the edges start to fall apart. Drain and let them steam off in the colander for a few minutes, until the surface looks matte. Shake the colander firmly to rough up the edges. Coat with duck fat, bacon fat, lard or olive oil. Spread on a large rimmed tray, with space between the pieces. Use two trays if needed. Roast at 450°F (400°F convection). Leave them alone for about 20 minutes, then turn and keep roasting until golden and crisp. Total time is roughly 50–60 minutes depending on your oven. Add garlic or herbs near the end so they don't burn. A FEW NOTES The baking soda trick comes from Kenji López-Alt's testing for Serious Eats. It's optional. The traditional British roast potato gets to a similar place without it. Duck and goose fat belong to the cooking of Southwest France. This method is not a French one, and pommes de terre sarladaises are a different dish. Duck fat, bacon fat, lard or olive oil all work. Tell me in the comments: what do you roast your potatoes in? #crispypotatoes #roastpotatoes #marcelskitchen