Ingredients
Method
Prepare and Parboil Potatoes
- Wash 800g baby potatoes and cut in half. Place in a pot, cover with water, salt the water generously (no additional salt beyond what’s listed is required), and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes until just tender when pierced—there should be slight resistance; they’ll finish in the oven. Drain thoroughly and let steam dry 2 minutes in the colander.
Season the Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F). Toss parboiled potatoes in a large bowl with 40ml olive oil, 8g smoked paprika, 6g salt, 3g garlic powder, 2g dried rosemary, and 2g black pepper until evenly coated. Make sure seasoning gets into the cut surfaces; that’s where browning happens.
Roast Until Crispy
- Spread potatoes cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 25–30 minutes without stirring so the cut faces can brown and crisp; you’re looking for golden bottoms and crackled skins. If your oven runs hot and paprika darkens quickly, rotate the tray once (don’t flip the potatoes).
Finish with Lemon
- Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with 15ml lemon juice. Toss gently and serve hot—lemon should taste fresh and bright, not cooked.
Notes
Parboiling gives you a creamy interior without sacrificing crisp edges. If you skip it, baby potatoes often brown before the center is fully tender. Eight minutes is usually the sweet spot for a firm-but-starting-to-soften texture.
Smoked paprika is powerful and can turn bitter if it burns. That’s why you roast cut-side down and avoid stirring—stirring smears paprika onto the tray where it can over-toast. If your potatoes go too dark, lower the oven temperature slightly next time.
Lemon goes on after roasting for a reason. In the oven, lemon juice dulls and disappears; added after roasting, it balances fat and smoke and makes the potatoes taste sharper and cleaner. Serve right away so that brightness stays noticeable.
Reheating: use a 200°C oven for 10–12 minutes. Reheating covered traps steam and softens the crisp cut-side crust.