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Roast potatoes are a firm favourite for many, making a truly delicious accompaniment to any meal — yet a straightforward technique could be the key to achieving an incredibly crispy finish. We all have a passion for good food, and sometimes the tiniest nugget of culinary wisdom can completely transform what ends up on our plates.
One such gem of advice doing the rounds recently centres on roast potatoes, and this simple recipe tweak could make your spuds taste significantly better. If you’re after roasties that are gloriously crunchy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside, it turns out that one basic ingredient could make all the difference.
This isn’t the only tip of its kind to have emerged lately either. Previously, it was revealed that a three-minute trick could help them crisp up beautifully each and every time.
Mimi Morley, Senior Recipe Development Manager at HelloFresh, swears by a very particular method to achieve the ultimate roastie. This straightforward adjustment could revolutionise the way you cook them for good.
When it comes to mastering that perfect crunch, she says there are two essential things to concentrate on. And once you know the secret, it’s really quite simple.
Mimi said: “There are two key things you need to do to get crunch on your roast potatoes. Parboil them and then (important), when you drain them, leave them in your colander with a tea towel on top to steam dry.
“Dry equals crispy. Then fluff them up to get more surface area on them. Use plenty of oil in your baking tray.
“My mum and I have discussed this at length and decided the key at this point of the process is essentially frying the potatoes in the oven. So plenty of oil, you want it covering the bottom of the tray plus a bit more, get it hot and then add your fluffed potatoes.”
According to Mimi, then, it’s entirely down to the oil. You need to ensure it’s extremely hot, as this represents the ultimate method for achieving that highly coveted crunch.
There are additional tricks worth trying as well. Chefs have various different tips when it comes to perfecting roasties.
For anyone unsure, oil plays a critical role in delivering crispy roast potatoes. It helps create an incredibly crunchy exterior; however, the variety of oil (or fat) and the method (hot oil, parboiling, fluffing) genuinely matter when it comes to securing the finest texture, with high-heat oils such as sunflower, rapeseed or even duck or goose fat frequently favoured over low-smoke-point olive oil for high-temperature roasting.
It’s equally essential to select starchy potatoes like Maris Piper or King Edward, as these varieties typically fluff up beautifully. Shaking the potatoes after they’ve been parboiled can also produce a superior texture, as roughing up the edges helps to ensure they turn out crispy.
Warm your oil or fat in the roasting tin inside the oven until it becomes piping hot. It’s important to complete this step before introducing the potatoes.
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It’s equally important not to cram too many into the tray, as this can cause them to steam rather than roast. Following simple guidelines like these can make all the difference.
That’s really all there is to it when it comes to achieving potatoes that are gloriously crispy on the outside, yet wonderfully fluffy on the inside. Once you know the tricks of the trade, it couldn’t be simpler.