Perfectly Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Preheat oven to 450°F making sure your oven rack is placed in the center position.

Wash (and peel, if you prefer) the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Larger chunks are best since they offer the most contrast between crispy exterior and soft interior.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer, add the potatoes, two tablespoons of salt and the baking soda to the pot and give a gentle stir. Boil the potatoes until very soft (approximately 10 to 15 minutes). You should be able to easily pierce a potato chunk with a fork.

When the potatoes have fully cooked, drain them well and return them to the pot. Allow the excess moisture to evaporate by letting the potatoes rest fro a minute or two in the pot before moving on to the next step.

Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Place the lid on the pot. Holding tightly, give the pot a good shake. You want to shake vigorously enough to fluff up the edges of the potatoes, but not so roughly that you end up with mashed potatoes.

Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet, doing your best to arrange them into a single layer.

Place potatoes into the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and stir the potatoes, being sure to turn each piece of potato over to help them crisp evenly.

Return pan to the oven and continue roasting until potatoes are a deep golden brown and nicely crispy (approximately another 30 to 35 minutes), stirring the potatoes and shaking the pan occasionally.

Serve and enjoy.