How to Make Crispy Potatoes in a Pan: Parboil, Dry, Then Fry

Not strictly, but it is the reliable way to get a cooked centre and a crisp shell from the same 1 in (2.5 cm) cube. Skipping it means cutting the potatoes to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) or thinner slices so the pan can cook them through in the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to brown them.

Wet surfaces and a crowded pan. Water on the potato has to boil off before browning can start, and a full pan drops the temperature so the pieces steam in their own moisture. Steam-dry for 5 minutes after draining and fry in a single layer with space around each piece.

Yes. Drain, spread them on a tray to dry, and refrigerate at or below 40 F (4 C) once they have cooled. Cold, dry parboiled cubes fry well straight from the fridge and often crisp faster than warm ones because the surface has already lost its moisture.

Cold salted water, then bring it up to a boil. Starting cold lets the outside and centre heat together, so the surface is not overcooked by the time the middle softens. From boiling, 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes usually need 8 to 10 minutes; test with a knife rather than trusting the clock.

Many cooks add a pinch to the water to roughen the surface, and the effect is a thicker, craggier crust. I have not sourced a published figure for the right amount, so treat it as optional: a well-drained, well-shaken floury potato already gives a rough surface without it.

The pan was not hot enough or the potatoes were wet. Preheat on medium for about 2 minutes until a drop of water skates, add fat and let it shimmer, then leave the pieces alone for 3 to 4 minutes. Starch bonds to cool metal; on a properly hot surface it forms a crust and releases on its own.

A neutral fat with a smoke point at or above 400 F (204 C), such as refined canola or peanut, or clarified butter at 482 F (250 C). Unrefined butter smokes at 302 F (150 C), too low for frying, so add it in the last minute for flavour only.

About 10 to 15 minutes for parboiled 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes on medium heat, turning each piece onto a fresh side after the first 3 to 4 minutes. Raw cubes of the same size take closer to 25 minutes and need a lid for part of that, which softens the crust.

Yes, on any induction-compatible pan. Keep the setting at medium rather than full power; induction pushes heat in very fast and full power scorches the outside before the crust has dried. The Houseland titanium frying pan is listed for induction, gas, electric and ceramic cooktops.

Salt the parboiling water, then salt again only after the potatoes come out of the pan. Salt on the surface during frying draws water out and keeps the crust from drying. Add herbs, garlic or a knob of butter in the last minute for the same reason.

Yes, if you cut them thin. Slices 0.25 in (6 mm) thick or cubes no bigger than 0.5 in (1.3 cm) cook through in the 12 to 15 minutes it takes to brown them. Anything bigger needs a lid for the first 8 minutes, which softens the crust.

1 in (2.5 cm) cubes are the sweet spot after parboiling: big enough to have a fluffy centre, small enough that every side gets pan contact in two turns. Keep every piece the same size so the small ones do not burn while the large ones stay firm.

Slice 0.25 in (6 mm) thick, rinse off the surface starch, dry on a towel, and lay them flat in a single layer in a preheated pan with a thin film of fat. Give them 4 to 5 minutes per side on medium without moving them. Slices need no parboiling at that thickness.

Yes, but parboil wedges for 10 to 12 minutes first because they are thicker than cubes. Lay each wedge on a flat cut face, fry 5 minutes, turn to the other flat face for 5 more, and finish 2 minutes on the skin side. A 11 in (28 cm) pan holds about two potatoes' worth of wedges in one layer.

Boil small waxy potatoes whole until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, dry them, press each one to about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) with the base of a glass, then fry the flattened discs in fat for 4 to 5 minutes per side. The pressed surface is rough and crisps like a parboiled cube.

Leave it on for waxy or Yukon Gold potatoes; the skin is thin and fries into a crisp edge in the same 10 to 15 minutes. Peel floury types like Russets if you want the rough, fluffy surface that gives the craggy crust, because the thick skin stops the edges breaking up when you shake them after draining.

Not as well, because they hold more sugar and brown earlier. Fry 0.5 in (1.3 cm) cubes on medium-low for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, and skip the parboil since they soften faster than white potatoes. Expect a caramelised edge rather than a shattering crust.

Grate raw potatoes, squeeze them in a towel until no more water comes out, then press a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) layer into a preheated pan with 2 tablespoons of fat. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side on medium without stirring. The squeeze is the whole trick; wet shreds steam and stay pale.

Yes, but add them halfway. Onions take about 8 to 10 minutes to soften and brown on medium, so putting them in with parboiled potatoes at the start means they burn before the potatoes finish their 12 to 15 minutes. Slice them 0.25 in (6 mm) thick and add after the first potato turn.

In the last 2 minutes. Minced garlic burns and turns bitter within 60 to 90 seconds on a surface hot enough to crisp potatoes. Crushed whole cloves can go in earlier, about 5 minutes before the end, because they brown slowly and you pull them before serving.

Whole sprigs, yes, from the start; they flavour the fat and do not burn as fast as chopped leaves. Chopped herbs go in the last 1 to 2 minutes with the salt. Dried herbs are best sprinkled on after the potatoes leave the pan, since they scorch on hot metal.

Enough to coat the base in a thin film, about 2 tablespoons for a 10.2 in (26 cm) pan and 3 tablespoons for an 11 in (28 cm) pan. Too little and the pieces catch on dry spots; too much and you are shallow frying, which works but leaves the potatoes greasy.

Medium, on both gas and induction. That puts the pan surface in the browning range without burning the fat, and a 2 minute preheat gets it there. High heat scorches the outside in 3 minutes while the crust under it is still soft; medium-low takes 25 minutes and produces a leathery skin instead of a crisp one.

Flick in a drop of water. If it skates around as a bead, the pan is ready; if it sits and boils off in place, wait another 30 to 60 seconds. After adding fat, wait until it shimmers and moves easily when you tilt the pan, which takes about 30 seconds on medium.

The heat is too high or the potatoes went in raw. A 1 in (2.5 cm) raw cube needs about 25 minutes to cook through but browns in 5, so the outside is black long before the centre softens. Parboil for 8 to 10 minutes first and fry on medium, not high.

They were boiled too long. Floury potatoes go from firm to collapsing in about 2 minutes at a full boil, so test with a knife from 7 minutes and pull them when the tip meets slight resistance at the centre. Drain gently and let them steam-dry 5 minutes before they see the pan.

Too much fat or a pan that was not hot enough. Cold fat soaks into the surface instead of frying it; keep the film thin, about 2 tablespoons per 10.2 in (26 cm) pan, and wait until it shimmers. Drain finished potatoes on a rack, not paper, for 1 minute so the underside stays crisp.

Trapped steam. Piling hot potatoes in a bowl or covering them with foil softens the crust in 2 to 3 minutes. Spread them on a warm plate or a wire rack in a single layer and serve within 5 minutes; a 200 F (93 C) oven holds a second batch for up to 15 minutes.

Leave them alone. Each face needs 3 to 4 minutes of uninterrupted contact to dehydrate and brown before it releases cleanly. Stirring every minute tears the surface and keeps every side half-cooked, so you end up with pale, broken pieces after 20 minutes.

The pan was cold when they went in, or the potatoes were wet. Oil does not stop starch bonding to cool metal; heat does. Preheat 2 minutes on medium before the fat, let the fat shimmer, and steam-dry the potatoes 5 minutes after draining so no water hits the surface.

8 to 10 minutes from the boil for 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes, 10 to 12 minutes for wedges, and 4 to 5 minutes for 0.5 in (1.3 cm) dice. Start in cold salted water so the centre keeps pace with the outside, and use a knife test rather than the clock.

About 5 minutes in the colander, with a couple of shakes to roughen the surfaces. If you are in a hurry, spread them on a tray for 2 to 3 minutes; the surface goes from glossy to matte when it is ready. A wet surface is the main cause of sticking and steaming.

Around 205 to 212 F (96 to 100 C) at the centre is fully cooked and fluffy; a parboiled cube pulled at 8 to 10 minutes will read lower and finish in the pan. In practice a knife tip that slides in with slight resistance is the same test without a thermometer.

About 30 minutes: 5 minutes to cut, 12 to 15 minutes to bring to the boil and parboil, 5 minutes to drain and dry while the pan preheats for 2 minutes, then 10 to 15 minutes in the pan. Two batches add about 10 minutes.

Yes. Cubed potatoes in a covered bowl with 2 tablespoons of water take about 5 to 6 minutes on high for 1 lb (450 g), stirring once. Drain any liquid and let them stand uncovered 3 to 4 minutes so the surface dries, then fry as usual.

Yes, and they fry better than fresh ones. Cold boiled potatoes from the fridge have a dry, set surface that crisps in 8 to 10 minutes on medium. Cut them to 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces and use within 3 to 4 days of boiling.

Yes, at medium heat. Extra virgin olive oil smokes at about 374 F (190 C), which is above the browning range, but it has less margin than refined canola at 400 F (204 C). If you see wisps of smoke before the potatoes go in, pull the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.

Not for the whole cook. Unrefined butter smokes at about 302 F (150 C) and its milk solids burn black within 5 minutes at frying heat. Fry in a neutral oil or ghee and add 1 tablespoon of butter in the final minute for flavour, or use clarified butter, which holds to 482 F (250 C).

Yes; clarified butter has a smoke point around 482 F (250 C), so it fries without burning and keeps a butter flavour. Use it the same way as oil, about 2 tablespoons for a 10.2 in (26 cm) pan, and expect a slightly deeper brown than with neutral oil.

Yes. Lard smokes at about 374 F (190 C), which is fine for medium heat, and bacon fat behaves similarly. Both add flavour and brown the surface quickly, so check the underside at 3 minutes rather than 4 on the first turn. Strain out any burnt bits before reusing.

Any floury type: King Edward, Maris Piper, Idaho, or Sebago. If only all-purpose Yukon Gold is available, they still crisp well with a 8 minute parboil. Waxy red or fingerling potatoes make a firm, golden result with a thinner crust and less fluff inside.

Yes, straight from frozen. Frozen diced or hash brown potatoes are already blanched, so fry them in 2 tablespoons of fat on medium for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 4 minutes. Do not thaw first; thawed pieces release water and steam instead of browning.

You can, but non-stick pans are limited to medium heat and their surfaces brown less aggressively. Expect 15 to 20 minutes rather than 10 to 15, and use silicone or wood utensils. A bare-metal pan gives a deeper, faster crust because it can be preheated harder.

Not for parboiled potatoes; a lid traps steam and softens the crust. A tempered glass lid is useful only for raw pieces, on for the first 8 to 10 minutes to cook the centre, then off for the last 5 to 8 minutes to dry the surface and brown it.

Rinse only raw slices or shreds, where the loose surface starch causes gumminess. Parboiled potatoes should not be rinsed; the cooked starch layer left on the outside is exactly what fries into the crust. Dry rinsed potatoes on a towel for 2 to 3 minutes before they meet the fat.

No more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour if the room is above 90 F (32 C), by the UC Master Food Preservers' 2-hour rule. After that, discard them rather than refrigerating. Cooked potatoes are a moist, low-acid food that supports bacterial growth.

3 to 4 days at or below 40 F (4 C) in a covered container. Cool them for no more than 2 hours before refrigerating. The crust softens in storage, but a 4 to 5 minute reheat in a hot dry pan brings it back.

Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool them, freeze on a tray in a single layer for 2 hours, then bag them. Reheat straight from frozen in a preheated pan on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, or in a 425 F (220 C) oven for 15 minutes. Thawing first makes them soggy.

In a preheated pan on medium with 1 teaspoon of fat for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, or in a 425 F (220 C) oven on a tray for 8 to 10 minutes. Both drive the moisture back out of the crust. A microwave reheats them in 90 seconds but leaves them soft.

Trim the green parts away, or discard the potato if the green goes deep. The green shows chlorophyll, and light exposure also raises the bitter compound solanine in the same areas. Store potatoes in the dark at 45 to 50 F (7 to 10 C) to prevent it.

Cold storage below about 45 F (7 C) converts some of the potato's starch to sugar, and sugar browns much faster than starch. A potato kept in the fridge for 2 weeks can go dark brown in 3 minutes while still soft inside. Keep raw potatoes in a dark cupboard at 45 to 50 F (7 to 10 C).

Deglaze while the pan is still warm: pour in about 0.5 cup (120 ml) of warm water, wait a minute, and the stuck starch lifts with a cloth or wooden spatula. For a stubborn patch, simmer the water for 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid steel wool on a hammered finish.

No. The Houseland titanium frying pan is hand wash only, and the product page describes deglazing with warm water while the pan is still warm as the cleaning method. That takes about 1 minute after cooking and keeps the hammered finish even.

The bare metal is developing a patina, which the Houseland product page describes as normal: the surface darkens evenly with use, the same way carbon steel and cast iron do. It is not a coating breaking down, and a patinated surface releases food better than a new one after a few weeks of cooking.

You can, because there is no coating to cut through, but the product page says metal will leave visible marks on the hammered finish over time. A thin wooden or silicone spatula gets under a crisp edge after the first 3 to 4 minutes just as well, and the spec sheet lists wood or silicone as the utensils to use.

The 11 in (28 cm) cooking diameter if you regularly cook for more than two people; it holds about four medium potatoes in 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes in one layer. The 10.2 in (26 cm) size suits two potatoes per batch. Both come with a tempered glass lid sized to the pan.

Yes. The Houseland titanium frying pan is listed for induction, gas, electric and ceramic cooktops. On induction, preheat on medium rather than full power for about 2 minutes, because induction pushes heat in fast enough to scorch fat before the potatoes go in.

It can be preheated harder without damaging anything. Coated pans are limited to medium heat and their surfaces are designed to repel rather than grip, so the crust forms slowly. Bare titanium takes a 2 minute preheat and lets the starch brown directly against hot metal before releasing.

Yes, in batches of one layer each, holding finished batches on a rack in a 200 F (93 C) oven for up to 20 minutes. An 11 in (28 cm) pan takes about 1 lb (450 g) of cubed potatoes per batch, so 4 lb (1.8 kg) for eight people is four batches at 12 to 15 minutes each.

Yes; about 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 cups (1 L) of water seasons the potatoes through, which surface salting cannot do. The salt does not slow cooking at that level. Drain well, since salty water left on the surface draws moisture out during frying.