‘Barefoot Contessa’: Ina Garten Uses 1 Simple Trick for the Best Roasted Potatoes
Ina Garten‘s recipe for garlic roasted potatoes doesn’t skimp on flavor even though it’s prepped very quickly with few ingredients. Find out how to make the recipe the Barefoot Contessa star promises “are the easiest potatoes in the world.”
‘Barefoot Contessa’ star shares her trick for tasty roasted potatoes
Garten demonstrated how to make the super-easy garlic roasted potatoes recipe on her Barefoot Contessa cooking show.
“These are the easiest potatoes in the world,” Garten explained. “I think I’ve made more garlic roasted potatoes than every other vegetable combined.”
Garten combined the ingredients, mentioning her use of a red or white thin-skinned potatoes.
Of course, the Barefoot Contessa star revealed one of her tried and true secrets for the most flavorful potatoes. “Now the secret to my potatoes — really good garlic.”
Garten said she uses fresh and firm garlic, about 6 cloves, and explained that while the potatoes cook the garlic “becomes really sweet” so it’s not an overpowering flavor in the dish.
How to make the Ina Garten garlic roasted potatoes
Garten’s garlic roasted potatoes are so easy to prepare and they roast for an hour until they are brown and crispy. The recipe makes the perfect side dish to accompany chicken, beef, pork, or fish. (You can find the recipe on the Barefoot Contessa website.)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds small red- or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
- ¼ cup good olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Half or quarter the potatoes and then add them to a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, tossing until the potatoes are coated. Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet in one layer and roast for 1 hour, flipping twice during the cooking time. When finished, the potatoes will be brown and crispy.
Before serving, toss the potatoes with the parsley and season them to taste.
Garten has a recipe for famous pal Emily Blunt’s English roasted potatoes
When Garten shared her famous friend Emily Blunt’s English roasted potatoes, her website crashed. And with good reason – it’s an excellent stepped-up version of classic roasted potatoes. It’s a little more of an involved recipe, but the results are worth the extra work.
Garten shared the recipe in May 2020, explaining on Instagram: “Sneak peek recipe from Modern Comfort Food — Emily’s English Roasted Potatoes. Emily Blunt shared her family’s favorite roasted potatoes with me and you’re going to LOVE them!!” (The recipe is on The Food Network website.)
Cut the potatoes into small pieces and add them to boiling water and then simmer for 8 minutes. Drain the water, then return the potatoes to the pot, place the lid on, and shake it for 5 seconds.
Blunt explained the reason for doing this on the Barefoot Contessa cooking show. “If you rough up the edges, once you roast them it just gives a really nice, sort of crispy, crunch,” she noted.
Blunt also suggested drying the potatoes on a wire rack for 15 minutes for an even crustier outside.
Pour the oil onto a sheet pan and coat it, then place the pan in a preheated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes to the pan, tossing lightly to coat with the hot oil.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook the potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, turning them during the cooking time until brown and crisp. Sprinkle with sea salt and parsley.
