Roasted potatoes: should they be dry?
I'm in the middle of roasting some sirloin in foil packets. It's surrounded by carrots and quartered red potatoes, and I'm roasting it for an hour at 400F, turned down to 350F after the first 30min.
When I took it out to check on it at the 30 minute mark, the potatoes seemed very dry to me. I feel like roasted potatoes I've had made by others are usually at least a tiny bit moist.
Am I insane? Should potatoes be bone dry when oven-roasted?
Best Answer
Baking them for that long will evaporate a lot of water. This is a good thing. If they were in enough liquid to not dry out at all then they wouldn't brown and you would miss out on a lot of delicious flavor. That would be braising.
These may have been dryer than potatoes in the past if the potatoes were cut into smaller pieces (more surface area) or if the cook time was longer.
If you want your veggies to be more moist then you can cook them for a shorter length of time or toss them with some fat which will give the illusion of moisture as well as prevent some internal moisture from escaping.
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Why are my roasted potatoes dry?
Anything smaller than 3/4 inch will cook too quickly and dry out, and anything over 2 inches doesn't leave enough cut surfaces to give you the perfect ratio of crunchy crust to soft interior that you're looking for. Some cooks parboil potatoes first to prevent them from becoming dry or tough during roasting.Should potatoes be dried before roasting?
As we've mentioned, drying your potatoes before you fry or roast them will lead to the best crispy results. Too much water content can make the potatoes a little on the soggy side. And no one wants a soggy potato when you're expecting a tasty crunch or crisp.Are roasted potatoes supposed to be soft?
Perfect Roasted Potatoes Learn the tricks to make roasted potatoes that are soft and fluffy inside but brown and crunchy outside.Why are my roasted potatoes not crispy?
To make crispy roast potatoes, the temperature of the oven needs to be hot 220\xb0C or 425\xb0F - but if the oven is too hot the potatoes will burn before they crisp up. If the oven temperature is too cold your potatoes will not be crispy.The Food Lab: How to Roast the Best Potatoes of Your Life | Serious Eats
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