Why can't I cook potato wedges correctly?

[Mintooo]

..in the oven?

I cut the potatoes into wedges, cover in olive oil and salt and pepper. 200 degrees in the oven for abojt 40/45 mins.
When they come out some parts will be burning and others will still be soft and not crispy! Where am I going wrong?

They need to be turned, moved around the tray a few times, to ensure even cooking.

They do better if you remove as much of the starch as you can first, so when you have cut them up, wrap them in a tea towel and blot any moisture off. And make sure the oven is good and hot.

I usually turn half way through.

I'm wondering if maybe I need to turn the oven down and go for longer?

All identical size?

I have the same issue. I wonder if the type of potato makes a difference too, as I just buy a bag of ‘white potatoes’ so the variety is presumably whatever they have most of that week! I use plenty of oil and they always stick to the pan and never come out like proper wedges, just slightly shrivelled flat chips! I guess parboiling might help but then you may as well have roasties which are far superior anyway!

Do they do better if you put oil in tray, heat that up and then add the potatoes and stir them around to get them covered

I also would tend to use sunflower oil not olive

And salt in the oil

My method is this:
Preheat oven to 200°C, and preheat tray.
Cut potatoes to wedge shape, rinse, and place in pan of water.
Bring to boil, then immediately drain.
Replace in pan, and add a little oil and seasoning. Toss well to distribute oil and seasoning.
Place wedges onto preheated tray.
Bake for about 30 mins.
Turn once during cooking.

100% heat oil BEFORE putting potato’s in

otherwise soggy

Does the oven heat evenly?
agree with the soaking to remove starch
Use good potatoes like Maris Piper
I don’t think it matters whether you use rape oil or olive
coat the wedges evenly in oil having added a bit of salt and pepper (p optional)
give them 30 mins at a lower temp then turn them and turn up the heat to brown. Turn twice

Alternatively, follow above method for potatoes and put in air fryer on high, shaking occasionally.

Good potatoes, then this is one of the many things the air fryer better at than the oven, cos you can shoogle them a few times.

I chop into wedges and shake in a bowl with a tbsp oil (I use vegetable). A good sprinkle of salt and any flavourings.

On a baking sheet lined with greaseproof, not foil. I'm a lazy cook but I take them time to stand them all up, skin side down. Bake at 180/200 for about 45 mins. I turn the sheet round in the oven but rarely move the wedges.

Love not for your cooking method but for the the use of the word ..shoogle..I'm a fellow shoogler.😁

Leave to soak in cold water for a while. Parboil for just a couple of minutes. Drain and leave to steam in colander for a while. Return to pan and add oil/seasonings. Roast, turning once about 2/3 into cooking time.

Works well for me!

I don't usually bother to pre-heat the oil/fat (only do that for roasties and Yorkshire puddings).

Soak in cold water before par boiling then roasting/air frying. Tbh I would pressure cook them for a couple of minutes first.

Just to be clear, the way I do it is I add wedges back into the pan they were parboiled in, add oil/seasonings and mix to coat all the wedges. Then pour everything onto roasting tray and use a spatula to get as much of the remaining oil out of the pan and onto the wedges.

Thanks all. I was hoping to avoid any par boiling or cold water/wringing out of starch, I just want to cut up and bung in the oven but good point in the oil being hot when you put them in the pan. I'll give this a go next time!

Yes if you're going to do it from raw it would be much better to use preheated tray and oil.

I would also suggest cooking at 180 for about 40 min and then turning down to 160 (fan 140) for a good while, probably another 15-20 min. 40 to 45 minutes is not enough to reliably cook them through, as you already know, and if you leave it on 180 for too much longer you risk the outside being overdone before the inside is properly cooked.

Alternatively, cut your wedges much thinner.

I always start mine in the microwave before cutting into wedges then a drizzle of oil and seasoning. The microwave helps give them a bit of texture so they crisp in the oven.

Just coming on to second the “stand them up” approach!
cut reasonably thin, toss in olive oil/salt/pepper (or preferred seasoning)
stand them on their skins - no turning required.
mine take about 25-30 mins

I never thought of that, what a good idea. I will do this!

Another vote for microwave - 5 minutes is long enough to avoid them being weirdly hard.

Do you cut them first before putting in the microwave?

I'm thinking now, pan in hot oven with oil in, cut wedges and microwave for 5 mins, then out and in the oven at 180 for 30 mins!?

Hi

Currentky in the car reading these answers out to my kids. They love a bit of Mumsnet. My son (age 11) wants me to tell you, “make sure you don’t use too much oil or they’ll get soggy”.