Whisked Roast Potatoes

This is another recipe I found on the internet.  These potatoes are a little more work but are awesome!

Whisked Roast Potatoes 

Ingredients:

• 3 T. vegetable oil, or enough to coat the bottom of your pan
• 2 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 lb. starchy potatoes, like Russet

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coat the bottom of a deep, 12 by 8 inch roasting pan (preferable cast iron) (I used a 12 inch cast iron pan) with neutral oil, so the surface is lightly covered.  Season this oil with salt, pepper, and a bay leaf. Put the pan in the oven so the oil gets hot, and keep it there until the potatoes are ready to be added to it, 20-25 minutes, while you continue with the other steps.
3. Keep a bowl of water next to you.   Peel the potatoes, then cut them in half or quarters (each piece should be no bigger than a golf ball). Every time you peel and cut a potato, put it in the water so it does not oxidize. When finished, drain the peeled and cut potatoes in a colander.  Place the potatoes into a large pot, cover them with room-temperature water, add a few generous pinches of salt, set the heat to high, and wait for the water to come to a simmer.  (You'll see white foam come to the surface and the water will look like it's vibrating slightly; that's when you should reduce the heat.) Once the potatoes are simmering, reduce the burner to the lowest heat and set a timer for 10-12 minutes.  The potatoes are ready for the next step when a fork can pierce their outsides but their insides remain impenetrable.
4. Carefully drain the potatoes in a colander.  While the potatoes are warm, take a whisk and "stir" the potatoes so the outsides get scraggy.  The scraggier the better - be as aggressive as you need, giving individual pieces attention if they seem like they are smoother than the rest. (Troubleshooting tip:  If your potatoes don't seem to be responding, it's because they have not been blanched enough. Pour a kettle or saucepan of boiling water over them so that the potatoes heat up and are softer on the outsides.)
5. Remove the pan from the oven.  Discard the bay leaf.  Very carefully, piece by piece if needed, place the potatoes in the pan so that each piece touches the bottom.  You should hear a sizzle.  Turn the potatoes over so they are more fully coated in the hot oil.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper again and add any other spices or aromatics, such as paprika, rosemary or za'atar.  Place the pan in the oven for 70 minutes, turning the potatoes after 40 minutes.  Check on the oven periodically-the potatoes are done when they are golden and crispy; if that's the case before 70 minutes have passed, take them out.
6. Enjoy!