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Side · British

Roast potatoes

Fluffy edges, glassy crust. The British genius is parboiling and roughing up before the oil.

85 min 20 min hands-on Serves 6 British Kid friendly

Roast potatoes are crisp and golden outside, fluffy within, the essential side of any roast dinner. The secret is parboiling and roughing them up before they hit hot fat. Done well they are the most-fought-over dish on the table.

Ingredients

  • 1½ kg maris piper or russet potatoes, floury
  • 6 tbsp duck fat, or goose fat or vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp semolina, or fine flour (optional)
  • 1 tbsp salt, for the water
  • sea salt, flaky, to taste

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Put the fat in a large roasting tin, put it in the oven and move straight on to the potatoes. The fat needs at least 10 minutes to get smoking hot and can sit there until the potatoes are ready.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks, about 5cm. Put them in a large pan of cold water with the salt and bring to the boil over a high heat, 10 to 15 minutes. Once it boils, turn the heat down to medium, start the timer and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until a knife slides into the outside easily but the centre is still firm.
  3. Drain in a colander and leave to steam-dry for 2 minutes. Tip them back into the pan, put the lid on and shake hard until the edges are fluffy and roughed up. Sprinkle over the semolina, if using, and shake again. Those rough edges become the crunch.
  4. Using oven gloves, lift the hot tin onto the hob and close the oven door so it stays hot. Tip in the potatoes, letting them fall away from you (they should sizzle), and turn each one with a spoon to coat it in fat. Spread them out with space between them.
  5. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until deep golden and glassy crisp all over. Turn them with tongs after about 20 minutes and again after 40, so every side gets its time against the hot tin.
  6. Tip them into a warm dish and scatter with flaky sea salt while they are still hot, so it sticks. Serve straight away with a roast chicken, roast beef or anything with gravy.

Tips

  • Parboil the potatoes until just tender, then shake them in the pan to rough up the edges for maximum crunch.
  • Get the fat smoking hot in the tin before adding the potatoes so they sizzle on contact.
  • Do not crowd the tin, since spacing them out lets them crisp rather than steam.

Common questions

What potatoes are best for roasting?

Floury varieties like Maris Piper or King Edward give the fluffiest insides and crispest edges.

What fat should I use?

Goose or duck fat, beef dripping, or a neutral oil with a high smoke point all work. The fat must be very hot before the potatoes go in.