Why didn't my pan-fried potato wedges turn out crispy?
Here's what I did: I cut up some red potatoes into wedges, tossed them in oil and spice and pan fried them on the heat setting of 7.5 (9 is the max and it is a bare element stove). I put the lid on the pan and after a while I flipped them and removed the lid.
I put the lid back on so that they would be cooked all the way through. The weird thing is that the potatoes were browned on both sides, but flimsy and not crispy.
I've read that boiling them for a moment first would help, but I'd like to find a way without boiling them, since it will take a while longer to boil the water.
Did using the lid cause (or contribute) the potatoes to be flimsy/soggy?
Also, I've read this post about using white flour for potato wedges. How would I go about doing that? Is there a way to have crispy wedges without using flour?
I also read this post about how to get crispy wedges while cooking with peppers and onions, but it doesn't address my question.
So, why didn't my potato wedges turn out crispy? Is there a trick that I've missed or an error I've made?
Best Answer
By frying your potatoes then putting the lid on, you fried your potatoes then steamed them, so it's no wonder they weren't crispy. Although it takes longer, par-boiling the potatoes first is by far the best way to get crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside potatoes.
Par-boiling cooks the inside of the potato, so that all you need to do in the pan is crisp the outside.
Try this:
- Cut your potatoes however you like. Place them in a pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes depending on how waxy your potato is (floury potatoes don't hold together as well).
- Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them dry out for 5 minutes. Then give them a shake in the colander to fluff the outside of the potatoes - the fluffy bits will catch and crisp up beautifully. At this stage you can dust your wedges with flour or semolina for extra crispy results. You can also add spices and seasoning.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add plenty of oil - about 5mm depth. When the oil is hot, carefully add the potatoes - consider frying in batches if your pan isn't big enough.
- Fry the potatoes until golden and crispy.
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Quick Answer about "Why didn't my pan-fried potato wedges turn out crispy?"
Drain the potatoes into a colander and let them dry out for 5 minutes. Then give them a shake in the colander to fluff the outside of the potatoes - the fluffy bits will catch and crisp up beautifully. At this stage you can dust your wedges with flour or semolina for extra crispy results.Why are my pan fried potatoes soggy?
Because they are already cooked, they don't take much oil or time in oil to crisp up. If frying hash browns on a griddle, put the oil on first and allow it to heat up, then add the potatoes. Pouring cool or room temp oil over the potatoes is a sure fire way to end up with soggy spuds.Why are my potato wedges not crispy?
Here's the secret to making ultra crispy potato wedges: Soak your raw potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes before baking. This step releases some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to crisp outsides and moist interiors.Why are my homemade wedges soggy?
Potatoes that have too much moisture = soggy. So, what to do is after you've drained them, let them sit for at least 5 minutes and allow the steam to leave the wedges. This is the moisture that we don't want escaping the wedges, which is good.Why Didn't You Stop Me?
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