Crispy roast potatoes are the backbone of Sunday lunch. The perfect roast potato is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, with a crunchy exterior. But, how do you achieve roastie perfection? Read on for my tried- and- true method.
I've tested every possible variable in my quest to make the crispiest, creamiest roast potatoes. Truth be told, I think there's two simple secrets to making the ultimate pan of roast potatoes:
Firstly, the potatoes need to be cut into bite size pieces to achieve that perfect balance of crispy outside to creamy inside. Too big, and they take too long to cook, too small and they crisp on the outside too fast; find that medium happy place.
Secondly, the oil has to be heated before the potatoes go in, and it must be shimmeringly hot so that when the potatoes hit it they make a satisfying sizzling sound. But, I'm getting ahead of myself...read on to discover all the secrets to ultimate roast potatoes.
Ingredients for Perfect Roast Potatoes:
- Potatoes: My top choices for roasting are King Edwards or Maris Piper potatoes.
- Oil: I've tried many different oils, and always find that sunflower oil gives the crunchiest results.
- Semolina: Semolina is a a course variety of wheat. When it coats the potatoes it adds a crisy texture that level up your roast potato game!
- Salt: Choose sea salt for that flavor pop.
Method:
Time needed: 1 hour.
My tried and trusted golden roast potato method:
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into bite size pieces.
For smaller potatoes this will mean cutting them into quarters, but for larger potatoes you may even need to cut them into eighths. Just make sure the pieces can be put into your mouth without cutting them with a knife.
Preheat the oven to 190 F and add the oil to a your roasting tin. Pop it in the oven to get good and hot while your potatoes steam.
Put the potatoes in a steamer and add a small amount of water to the pan, put the lid on and steam them over very low heat for 10 minutes.
- Dry steam the potatoes and coat in semolina
Once the potatoes are done steaming, remove the steamer, drain off the water and put the potatoes back in the pan over low heat to dry steam for a few minutes. The drier the potatoes are, the crispier the exterior will be.
Now, sprinkle the semolina into the pan, put the lid back on and give the pan a vigorous shake to rough up the edges.
- Coat the potatoes in the oil
Working quickly, take your tin of hot oil out of the oven and slide the potatoes in. Use a spatula or tongs to turn each potato around in the oil and return them to the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 220 F
At the 20 minute mark, turn the heat up to 220. No need to flip the potatoes, just let them keep cooking for an additional 20 minutes. At 40 minutes the potatoes should be golden and crispy, but give them a few more minutes if they don't look crispy.
That's it! You've made Ultimate Roast Potatoes!
All Your Questions Answered:
Roast potatoes are best eaten straight out of the oven, but you can steam them, drain off the water and pop them in the fridge ahead of time.
Yes, you can! The best way to reheat them is in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius, but you can also reheat them in the microwave or air fryer.
Yes, just put them in an airtight container. They will keep in the freezer for up to four months.
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Recipe
Ultimate Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Maris Piper or King Edward Potatoes
- ¼ cup sunflower oil * more if your pan is very large
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite size chunks. Smaller potatoes can be cut into quarters, and larger potatoes cut into eigths.
- Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F). Put the oil in a sturdy roasting tin and put it in the oven to heat up.
- Put a small amount of water in a medium size pan, insert a steamer and steam your potatoes over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water from the pan, remove the steamer and return the potatoes to the pan. Sprinkle with semolina, put the lid on the pan and shake vigorously to chuff the edges of the potatoes.
- Using oven gloves, remove the pan of hot oil from the oven. Working quickly, slide the potatoes into the hot oil. Using tongs or a spatula, turn each potatoe over a couple of times to coat in oil and put them in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 220 C (430 F) and roast the potatoes for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
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