Roast potatoes with a Sunday meal is a classic pairing, but there is a simple way to get crispier potatoes with only a handful of ingredients.
Masry Berry has shared that the secret to getting “perfect” roast potatoes only takes three ingredients but it all depends on the type of potato you use.
In her cookbook ‘Family Sunday Lunches’, Marty wrote: “The choice of which type of potato you use is important as the floury sort makes the fluffier roast potatoes.”
Potatoes such as King Edward or Maris Piper have a high starch content, making them extremely fluffy on the inside and they also have a low moisture content so they crisp up better in the oven.
Then all you need is a little bit of salt and your favourite fat to help the potatoes come out perfect, as Mary wrote: “Goose or duck fat is best but you could use 100ml of sunflower oil if you prefer.”
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C Fan or Gas Mark 6).
Peel the potatoes and cut each one evenly so they are all roughly the same size, then place in a pan of salted water.
Bring the pan to a boil quickly with the lid on, then remove the lid and allow the salted water to boil rapidly for five minutes, then drain the water in a colander.
Return the potatoes to the pan, place the lid on and shake the pan to rough up the edges of the potatoes which will allow them to crisp better in the oven.
Season the potatoes lightly with salt and then heat the fat (or oil) in a large roasting tin and place the tin in the preheated oven for about three minutes.
Carefully remove the tin from the oven as the fat may be spitting hot and then spoon the potatoes into the fat and move them around so they are evenly coasted.
Try to space the potatoes out so they are in a single layer and not touching each other and then roast in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. If the potatoes are thicker than five centimetres they may take longer to cook.
Turn them every 15 minutes to make sure they come out evenly golden and crispy, then when fully cooked drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately. Do not try to cover up as they can go soggy.
If trying to keep hot, Mary said: “Never try to keep potatoes hot in a low oven, it is better to take them out of the oven when just perfect and put them to one side.
“Then, just before serving, re-roast in a very hot oven for about 10 minutes to crisp, turning halfway through.”
