How to Roast Potatoes: Nancy Silverton’s Confit Method
To roast potatoes well, confit them first in oil, butter, garlic, rosemary and sage, then roast them hot to finish. That two-stage method is what Nancy Silverton uses, and it's the difference between potatoes that are merely browned and ones that are genuinely tender inside.
Why confit potatoes before roasting?
Roasting alone has to do two jobs at once: cook the potato through and brown the outside, and high heat is much better at the second job than the first. Confit, simmering the potatoes gently and submerged in fat, gives them a head start. They cook partway at a low temperature while the garlic, rosemary and sage in the oil flavor them. The roast at the end only has to finish the job and crisp the exterior.
What potatoes work best for this method?
The recipe calls for German Butterball potatoes, which are fluffy, creamy and soft. If you can’t find them, Yukon Golds are the substitute. Either way, choose potatoes that hold their shape through a gentle simmer. Starchy russets are better suited to baking whole, where a dry, fluffy interior is the goal rather than a creamy one.
What goes in the confit
Nancy Silverton‘s version uses oil, butter, whole garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and sage, enough to fully submerge the potatoes while they cook. The aromatics infuse the fat itself, so every potato gets the flavor, not just the ones close to a garlic clove.
How do you know when the confit is done?
Test a potato with a knife: the flesh should still have a little resistance, because the potatoes only cook partway in the confit and finish in the oven. Then turn off the heat and let them steep in the butter and oil for 10 minutes before moving them to the baking sheet.
How hot to roast them once they're confited
Nancy Silverton preheats the oven to 500°F with the rack on the floor. She ladles some of the butter-oil onto a baking sheet and salts the pan generously, which sears and seasons the underside. Then she sets the potatoes cut side down, scatters the sage, rosemary and garlic on top, and roasts them for 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are nicely browned.
Serving them the way Nancy Silverton does
In her lesson, part of her California Cuisine class, Nancy Silverton serves the confit-roasted potatoes with a warm bagna cauda, an Italian anchovy and garlic sauce, for dipping. She arranges them cut side up, adds the roasted garlic, and crumbles the charred rosemary and sage on top. Her full roasted potatoes recipe has the exact method.
James Beard Award-winning chef, best-selling cookbook author, and the restaurateur behind Michelin-starred Mozza, Nancy Silverton takes viewers on a journey from her home in Panicale, Italy, to her home in Los Angeles. Viewers learn a range of Nancy’s renowned dishes, including her signature Caesar Salad, Chi Spacca Pepper Steak, 10+ vegetarian dishes, Mom’s Apple Pie, and more.