Emily Blunt’s Crispy Potatoes Are So Good, I Get Why They Crashed Ina Garten’s Website

I’ve written about how working at The Kitchn has made me a potato evangelist. I guess that’s what happens when you find a potato recipe that’s “the one.” The one I’ll serve at a dinner party forever, commit to on even a Monday night (a true feat!), and tell everyone I know to make it immediately. That “one” for me is our Senior Recipe Editor, Christine’s, masterpiece that is crispy skillet-fried potatoes. So naturally, I trust Christine when it comes to potatoes. When I saw that she had another favorite recipe, I knew that was the one for me to tackle next. 

The recipe actually isn’t one of ours: Emily Blunt (yes, the Emily) made these potatoes growing up with her family, then shared the technique with Ina Garten, who included the recipe in her cookbook Modern Comfort Food. The recipe for Emily’s English Roasted Potatoes was so popular when people got word of it, that Ina’s website crashed. Sometimes I make a recipe just because the hype gets so large, so I was all over this (albeit four years late!). 

So one thing I’ve figured out from my newfound potato-cooking era is that truly special potatoes take some finesse. They require a step or two more than you’d ask for, and they aren’t as hands-off as you might want — at least for the life-changing ones (IMO). And these are no exception. They’re undoubtedly easy and anyone with any skill level can pull them off, but they’re … kind of annoying? Yet still worth it!

The first thing you do is peel and dice the potatoes and then boil them. I had admittedly never boiled peeled diced potatoes before with the intention of roasting them. I always believed that potato skin was necessary for crispy potatoes — but not anymore. You simmer the potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes, then drain.  

The next critical step: You return the tender potatoes to the pot and shake them around for like 10 seconds in an attempt, as Ina says, “to rough up the edges.” This essentially gives the potatoes more jagged edges to crisp up. Now comes one of the more eye-roll steps: You transfer the potatoes to a baking rack and let them dry out for at least 15 minutes (and up to a few hours). I didn’t have more than 30 minutes so that’s what I did (and loved the results, so if you’re not one to plan ahead, you’re fine). 

While the potatoes are drying, you heat an oiled sheet pan in the oven — remember our mission is CRISPY potatoes. Transfer your dried-out spuds to the smoking hot sheet pan (I found this step to be a little treacherous, just take your time and I do advise wearing an apron), and your hands-off time has finally begun! Let the potatoes roast for about an hour (mine needed the full time), until they achieve the potato perfection we’re all looking for: supremely crispy on the outside, luxuriously creamy on the inside. 

As you can see, these are a little more complicated than your average roasted potatoes. But who wants average? If you’re looking for ones that are guaranteed to wow, these are it.