Bacon fat and rendered lard are also fine choices, as is just about any sort of animal-derived fat If you must, extra-virgin olive oil will certainly admirably well, though you won’t get quite the same level of crispness you’d get with an animal fat Once your potatoes are tossed in fat and seasoned well, all you’ve got to do is roast them in an extremely hot oven until they crisp up I roast mine on an unlined heavy rimmed baking sheet (they have a tendency to stick to foil) The key is to make sure you let the undersides crisp up completely before you even attempt to lift or flip them If the potatoes don’t come off relatively easily, you run the risk of breaking off the tops, leaving the crisp bottoms cemented to the bottom of the pan This is not an ideal situation MORAL OF THE STORY: Your potatoes will release themselves from the pan when they’re good and ready Don’t force them SERVES 4 TO 6 3 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes Kosher salt ...cemented to the bottom of the pan This is not an ideal situation MORAL OF THE STORY: Your potatoes will release themselves from the pan when they’re good and ready Don’t force them SERVES 4 TO 6... themselves from the pan when they’re good and ready Don’t force them SERVES 4 TO 6 3 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes Kosher salt