There’s little that beats the appeal of a perfectly roasted potato, its skin irresistibly crunchy on the outside, fluffy within, yet many home cooks struggle to get it right.
TV chef Nigella Lawson valued that it’s “impossible to cook roast potatoes without needing them to be perfect”, which means “soft inside and a golden-brown carapace of crunch”.
While having a solid recipe is key to turning out delectable roasties, Nigella noted there’s a single, vital step that elevates them to perfection.
Sharing a recipe on her website, she explained that semolina needs to be added for “perfect” results.
Nigella said: “I think dredging the potatoes – and this is a family practice, inherited through the maternal line – in semolina rather than flour after parboiling, then really rattling the pan around to make the potatoes a bit mashed on the surface so they catch more in the hot fat and turn out majorly crispy.”
Ingredients
2.5kg King Edward or Yukon Gold potatoes
640g goose fat
Two tablespoons semolina
Method
For this recipe, start by preheating your oven up to a scorching 250C/230C Fan/Gas Mark 9. Next, grab a large roasting tin and fill it with duck fat, which you’ll then pop into the oven to heat until it’s “frighteningly hot” roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
Peel the potatoes and divide each one into three portions. To achieve this, start by slicing off both ends to create a neatly shaped wedge or triangle in the middle.
Next, place the cut potatoes into a pan filled with boiling, salted water. Bring the water to a boil, then cook the potatoes for a brief four minutes.
After cooking, drain the potatoes using a colander, then return them to the empty, dry saucepan. Sprinkle semolina over the potatoes.
Nigella instructed: “Shake the potatoes around to coat them well and, with the lid clamped on, give the pan a good rotate and the potatoes a proper bashing so that their edges fuzz and blur a little: this facilitates the crunch effect later.”
Once the fat has reached its maximum heat, carefully tip the semolina-coated potatoes into it. Then, roast the potatoes in the oven for about an hour, or until they achieve a “darkly golden and crispy” texture.
To ensure an even crunch, remember to turn them over halfway through the cooking time.
Keep an eye on the potatoes as they cook. If your oven is particularly hot, they might be done in as little as 25 minutes per side.
However, Nigella advised letting them stay in the oven until the very last minute for the best results.
