Forget Olive Oil: This Ingredient Makes Richer Roasted Potatoes

There are many ways to make potatoes, but roasting is considered one of the best for creating crisp and savory, golden-brown spuds. A few tricks may also help bring out crispiness, but there's one in particular that ensures a crunchy texture: Use ghee instead of olive oil. Compared to olive oil, ghee can lend roasted potatoes a delicious crust because of its higher smoke point, or the temperature at which fat or oil creates smoke when heated. To put things into perspective, the smoke point of regular and refined olive oil generally ranges from 390 to 468 degrees Fahrenheit, while ghee's smoke point ranges between 450 and 485 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes ghee better suited for high-temperature roasting.

Ghee can also add more depth to roasted potatoes. Unlike olive oil's fruity or grassy flavor (depending on variety), ghee has a distinctly authentic buttery taste. It also has some nutty notes, which go so well with the potatoes' mild, starchy flavor. Since vegetables like potatoes unleash toasty and even meaty undertones when roasted at high heat, the spuds will gain not only a crispier exterior but also a richer flavor when cooked with ghee instead of olive oil.

To understand why and how ghee brings out the best in roasted potatoes, it helps to know how it is made. Ghee originated in India thousands of years ago as a means of preserving butter in hot weather. Gently simmering churned cream or butter was found to separate butterfat from the milk solids and water. On its own, butterfat is more shelf-stable and has a higher smoking point than butter. This type of clarified butter also has a characteristically rich, warm, and nutty flavor profile.

In Indian cuisine, there's a dish called spicy ghee roast potatoes, which is made by roasting spuds in ghee infused with aromatics. The resulting potato slices are crisp and buttery, and pack in a whole lot of flavor from the spices. For a milder, Western-inspired version, you can make roasted potatoes using the same technique and ingredients, minus the bolder spices such as cumin and chilies. Russet is the best choice if you are after roasted potatoes with an ultra-crunchy exterior. Just don't expect them to develop the same golden-brown color as Yukon Gold or red potatoes. For added flavor, season with kosher salt and fresh herbs, like rosemary and parsley.