My grandma, Jolly, has been making this recipe since she got married the first time—which was 72 years ago. In our little family, it is iconic: the side dish you fight about at Thanksgiving, and beg for every other holiday. Like all good roast potatoes, Grandma’s are extra crispy, aggressively seasoned, and greasy in a good way, so the paprika-stained oil lingers on your lips.
Just about any kind of potato works, depending on what you can get your hands on, though Grandma doesn’t care for those “itty-bitty ones,” which are “really gourmet” and “not available in the average supermarket.” You can peel them or not, “whatever you feel like doing.” The oven temperature has gotta be “hot,” but could be 400°F or 425°F, depending on your mood. That all said? Grandma has never measured the oil or the spices. “Never!” And while she gave me permission “to measure it out, you know, if you want to write a recipe”—for once, I opted not to. That just isn’t how they’re made.
A few annotations: Estimate ¼ to ½ pound of potatoes per person (you know your relatives better than I do). Red potatoes are our favorite, but Yukons or russets are fair game, too. This is not the time to use your most expensive olive oil; something cheap does the trick. Use more paprika than you’d think, and don’t swap in smoked or hot paprika—Grandma wouldn’t like that.
Helpful tools for this recipe:
- Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Baking Sheets
- Ceramic Salt Cellar
- Five Two Silicone Oven Mitts
—Emma Laperruque
This dish is part of Residentsgiving—aka the Thanksgiving menu of our wildest dreams—created by Food52's resident experts-slash-superheroes. Devour the rest of the spread here, and while you're at it, learn how to Remix & Remaster your Thanksgiving. —The Editors
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