Is there anything more delicious than a humble roasted potato? Follow this recipe for the perfect roast potatoes for your next Sunday lunch.
What Are Roast Potatoes?
Roast Potatoes are a Sunday lunch classic and a must-have for roast dinner. They are often parboiled before roasting in hot fat. The fat used for a classic roast potato is usually vegetable oil, duck or goose fat. Other flavourings for roast potatoes include garlic and woody herbs such as rosemary or thyme. Salt, of course, is a must, with the seasoning down to preference. Some prefer to season before cooking, while others prefer a nice salt flake pinch.
Choosing the Potatoes for Perfect Roast Potatoes
Authors and chefs have argued about what potatoes are best for roast potatoes. I prefer Maris piper potatoes as they’re versatile, meaning unused potatoes can be used again another day. The texture of a Maris piper potato allows for a fluffy interior while achieving a deliciously crisp exterior.
Plenty of fluffy potato varieties exist, but I think Maris Piper potatoes are the undisputed king. They’re also easily found and most often available in UK supermarkets.
Do I Need to Cook the Potatoes First?
If we cook the potatoes in boiling salted water first, the hard work will already be done for us. This precooking process also helps break down the potatoes, allowing the hot oil to penetrate them and make the rough edges crispy as they roast. This process traps flavour molecules and creates little pockets of fat, resulting in juicy, fluffy, crispy potatoes.
Choosing a Fat for Perfect Roast Potatoes
Fat helps crisp up the potatoes and gives them that iconic crispy crunch associated with the perfect roast potato. However, there are several options available to use. Ideally, I’d choose duck or goose fat, but a decent vegetable oil would also suffice.
Duck or Goose Fat – This is the rendered fat from a duck or a goose. It has a low smoke point, meaning it can be used at a higher temperature than other animal fats, such as butter. Not only will butter burn and turn nutty during high-temperature roasting, but duck and goose fats fat also prove better for us from a health point of view. Both are lower in saturated fats, making them better for your heart and crisping up the Sunday lunch.
Vegetable Oil – While this fat will deliver superb crispy potatoes, your roasties will lack the same meaty flavour. Avoid olive oil for potatoes as the high temperature can ruin the oil. Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil are a good choice, especially for those following a vegetarian diet.
How to Make the Perfect Roast Potato
First, peel the potatoes and cut them into the classic roast potato shape. This shape is usually the shape of a large potato cut into quarters. Next, bring a large pan of salted water to boil, and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes until they are just cooked. Allow the potatoes to dry thoroughly in the colander for a few minutes.
To roast the potatoes, get whichever fat you’re using extremely hot by placing it in the roasting tin and the centre of a preheated oven. When hot, add the potatoes with the garlic and rosemary. The potatoes should sizzle as they hit the hot oil, but be aware of splashing oil. Season the potatoes to taste and baste them in the hot fat. Roast for 45-60 minutes.
There’s no need to do anything to the garlic or rosemary; they will flavour the oil and impart this into the roast potatoes as they baste.
The best fat to use is whichever you prefer. Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil will achieve similar results to animal fats without the additional flavour. Duck and goose fat are often reserved for special occasions such as Christmas since they impart a luxurious mouthfeel to the roasted potatoes.
After cooking, drain the potatoes of any excess fat using kitchen paper. This will help the potatoes crisp up further without turning soggy as they cool on the plate or in a serving dish.
Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 80 g Vegetable Oil or Duck Fat or Goose Fat
- 800 g Potatoes Peeled and Cut into Chunks
- 6 Garlic Cloves Lightly Crushed
- 5-6 Sprigs of Rosemary
- Salt /Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C or 200C Fan or 425F or Gas 7. Place the preferred fat into a roasting tray and the roasting tray into the centre of a preheated oven.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the prepared potatoes for 15 minutes until they are just cooked. Allow the potatoes to dry thoroughly in the colander for a few minutes.
- Add the potatoes, garlic, and rosemary to the hot fat. Season the potatoes to taste and baste them in the hot fat.
- Roast for 45-60 minutes. Turn the potatoes over at least once during cooking for a more even colour and crispiness.
- Drain the fat off and serve immediately.
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