Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

What do fingerling potatoes and fingers have in common? Their shape! Fingerling potatoes are small, narrow, oval-shaped potatoes about 2-4 inches in length. Unlike new potatoes or baby potatoes, fingerlings are full grown despite their small size. Their skin is tender while their flesh is full-flavored and buttery. They don't need to be peeled, so simply halving them lengthwise is all the prep they need. Fingerlings are in season in late summer and into fall. Because of their tender skin, they don't last as long on the shelf as regular potatoes—only about 2-3 weeks. If you can't find fingerlings, baby Yukon gold potatoes are a good substitute.

To get nice, crispy potatoes, you'll have to preheat your baking sheet. Just place your baking sheet in the oven before you turn it on. Once your oven comes up to temperature, the baking sheet will be hot enough to add the potatoes. The trick is not to forget you're dealing with a hot pan, so keep an oven mitt at the ready for when it's time to slide everything back in the oven.

Less is more when it comes to roasting. And by less, we mean don't crowd the pan. A crowded pan will steam your potatoes and you won't get that signature crispy, golden skin. Spread the potatoes out in an even layer. It's okay if a few touch, but they shouldn't be lying on top of each other. When you stir them halfway through cooking, make sure you spread them out again so they cook evenly. If you have too many potatoes for the pan, it's best to spread them out onto two baking sheets and rotate the baking sheets' positions in the oven halfway through roasting.

We roast our potatoes in a 450 degree F oven. That's pretty hot but necessary for crispy skin. Preheating that pan jumpstarts the cooking process. That combined with the potatoes' thin shape allows the potatoes just enough time to get a golden brown sear on the outside with a tender, buttery flesh on the inside. Lower oven temperatures take longer to cook and can dry out the potatoes.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer