Originally Posted by
bensyd
I don't do it all the time, but you do get a better product if you parboil. Especially if you give them a toss in a colander between boiling and roasting.
See, my thinking is that the longer they are in the oven, the more brown and yummy and roasty they get. I can see if they were large potatoes but baby potatoes or fingerlings I would not parboil. I also like to smash each potato about halfway through so there is more surface area to get brown....do you ever smash to flatten each one and then finish roasting? It's good and fun to do.