Elevate your Christmas roast this year with Mary Berry’s top tip when it comes to whipping up the crispiest roast potatoes you’ve ever eaten – with a soft and fluffy inside
It’s time take your roast potato game to the next level. Spuds are perhaps the most important part of a Christmas roast, and nobody wants a soggy roastie that turns to mush when smothered in gravy. Luckily, former Bake Off star Mary Berry has revealed her top tip to getting the extra crunch exterior, while preserving that soft and fluffy inside we all know and love.
Her top tip? Roughening them up a little after a few minutes in boiling water. “Par-boiling the potatoes ahead and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crispy outside, with the semolina adding extra crunch,” the celeb cook said, according to Happy Foodie Recipes. So, let’s get straight to it…
Mary Berry’s crispy roast potato recipe
Ingredients (Serves 6)
- 1kg Potatoes – cut into medium-sized chunks. Use varieties such as Maris Piper or King Edward
- 50g Semolina
- 3 tbsp Sunflower oil
- 3 tbsp Goose fat
- Salt
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220C/ Gas Mark 7. Then, put the potato chunks into a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil then cook for around five minutes until the spuds start to soften around the edges.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander until completely dry, then tip them back into the pan and give them a good shake. You want all of the edges to be roughed up.
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- Add in the semolina and shake again until fully coated. Then, preheat your roasting tin in the oven until hot. Pour in the goose fat and oil and heat for five minutes until roasting. If you’re not using goose fat, you can just double up the amount of sunflower oil.
- Pour in the potatoes and turn them into the fat so they’re well coated. Now put the tray in the oven and roast for around 45-55 minutes. The potatoes should crisp up nicely and are ready to come out when they’re golden brown. Make sure you turn them over halfway through cooking time, and serve piping hot.
Et voila! A Christmas dinner staple ready in just over an hour. You can also roast you spuds up to 12 hours ahead. Prior to serving, reheat them in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes, but don’t add any more fat.
If you’re in charge of the roast this year, make sure you don’t forget dessert – as everyone has a sweet tooth on the big day. Check out Mary Berry’s Christmas pudding with brandy butter for the ultimate (and boozy) festive treat – or the cook’s foolproof Xmas cake.
What’s the best part of a Christmas roast? Have your say in the comments section below
