Roast potatoes are a staple for any Sunday roast, but it’s all too easy to end up with a soggy, slimy dish. We spoke to chefs and food experts for their tips on how to make the perfect roastie
No Sunday roast is complete without a hearty serving of roast potatoes on the side. However, a soggy spud can instantly spoil any meal, so it’s crucial they have that delightful crunch as you tuck into them.
The dream scenario is a potato that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. But despite their simplicity, roast potatoes can be tricky to perfect.
I’ve consulted several chefs and food experts on how to create the ultimate crispy roastie, and there was one common consensus.
According to the culinary pros, preparation is paramount when it comes to crafting the perfect roast potatoes. Before even considering popping them in the oven, you need to ensure you’ve picked up the right type of spuds from the supermarket.
Craft Guild’s National Chef of the Year finalists Shaurya Kapoor and Craig Edgell agreed that a floury potato will yield the best crunch. Shaurya elaborated: “For classic English roast potatoes, I always start with the right variety. Maris Piper is my go-to, but King Edward also delivers a fluffy centre and crisp shell.”
Explaining why other types of potato might not deliver the same results, Craig stated: “For the ultimate roast potato, start with Maris Piper, King Edward or Sagitta. Waxy potatoes just won’t give you that ultimate fluff.”
Once you’ve got your floury potatoes at hand, it’s time to peel and roughly chop them. Kirsty Cheetham, head chef at The Swine bistro, advises ensuring each piece is around 5cm long for optimal crunch, reports the Express.
She explained: “You next need to make sure you’re working with a decent-sized potato so you get a good amount of crispy surface area. Cut them too big and they won’t cook all the way through, too small and you’ll lose the fluffy middle so ideally you’re going to be aiming for 5cm chunks.”
Next, it’s time to parboil.
This technique will soften the potatoes sufficiently so they become fluffy and tender on the inside once roasted, making this a crucial step that must never be skipped.
Chef Dean Harper from Harper Fine Dining has praised the advantages of this method, saying: “I always start by parboiling them in salted water until they’re tender around the edges. If you skip this step the centres never achieve that soft, pillowy texture that contrasts so beautifully with a crisp shell.”
Salted water proved a favourite tip, with chef Liam Dillon from The Boat restaurant concurring.
He added: “You should be able to put a dining knife through them and it should fall back off into the water.”
After you’ve parboiled the spuds until tender, it’s time for another vital part of the process – allowing the potatoes to steam dry, and roughening up the edges before you put them in the oven.
At this stage, it’s worth preheating your appliance to 180-190C and placing your tray of chosen fat or oil inside to heat up. Craig suggested: “I use a mix of duck fat, goose fat and beef dripping to build layers of flavour and crispness. Fresh hard herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage, along with whole garlic cloves, add depth and aroma.”
But before your spuds hit the oven, they need to dry out slightly.
Drain them from the water, and leave them sitting in the colander whilst your oil or fat warms up properly.
And don’t overlook giving them a thorough shake as well.
Dean revealed: “That roughing-up breaks the surface ever so slightly, creating nooks and crannies for the fat to cling to. It’s those jagged edges that transform into the crunch everyone craves.”
When the oil is prepared, it’s time to start cooking.
Carefully tip the potatoes in – be cautious as they will sizzle and might splash you – and place them in the oven.
All the chefs were unanimous that it was crucial to keep rotating the potatoes whilst they cook, to ensure they are uniformly crunchy on all sides.
Shaurya suggested every 15 minutes, with most recipes taking around 45 minutes to one hour depending on your taste.
If you fancy giving them an additional burst of flavour when they emerge from the oven, give them a liberal sprinkling of flaky sea salt, whilst the potatoes are still hot enough to soak it up.
With these chef-endorsed tips, your potatoes should hopefully turn out crispier and more scrumptious than ever.