A Sunday lunch staple, roast potatoes are easy to master with this clever recipe that focuses on achieving the crunchiest results.
Shared by cookery writer Sophie Godwin with BBC Good Food, the recipe promises “golden brown beauties” with “extra crispy bits everyone will love”.
Sophie’s formula is unique in that it doesn’t call for array of extra ingredients, including common ‘miracle’ items like white vinegar, duck or goose fat and lots of salt.
Instead, she focuses on the technique, which in this case involves boiling the potatoes a certain way and smashing them up for “more surface area”.
The recipe has been a hit with those who have tried it, as one home cook wrote: “My mum and I just ate the whole tray and I’m not even sorry, they were amazing.”
Another commented: “Been trying to get roast potatoes the way I want them for years. Came close, but never succeeded until now. Just the job, and I never bother to turn them. Use this recipe every time. Perfect. And use it, modified, for wedges.”
The recipe calls for nothing in the way of seasoning, but you can use whatever is lurking in the kitchen.
Salt and pepper are a good place to start, and rosemary is a welcome addition for a herby punch, though oregano or marjoram would work just as well.
What’s more, the method is just as easy as the recipe with just a handful of steps to follow for success.
Smashed roast potatoes recipe
Ingredients
First, heat the oven to 200C/180Cfan/gas 6. Now put the peeled potatoes in a large pan filled with cold, salted water – not boiling water.
Bring the water to boiling while the potatoes are in the pan to ensure the crispiest crust, it’s a technique loved by chefs including Jack Stein.
When the water reaches boiling point, leave the spuds to cook for 15 minutes until a cutlery knife can be inserted into the centre of a potato with only a little resistance, then drain and steam-dry.
Now arrange the steam-dried potatoes in a large roasting tin, leaving enough space between each one so that they have room to spread once smashed.
Using a fish slice, push down on each of the potatoes to break them up slightly. There’s no need to worry if some break up completely, it just means more crispy bits, according to Sophie.
Season the spuds well before drizzling over the oil. Roast for one hour in the hot oven, turning once around halfway through.
Ensure they’re perfectly golden and crispy before removing them from the oven to serve.
