How to make roast potatoes

Ingredients

• Approximately 450g peeled potatoes
• 2 tablespoons goose fat and/or sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• A pinch of salt

Method

Crunchy, golden-brown with a light fluffy interior, a delicious roast potato is an essential accompaniment to any roast dinner. But don’t save them just for Sunday lunch or Christmas dinner. Perfect roast potatoes will help elevate even the most humble of suppers into a noteworthy meal.

For the best results, use a floury variety of potato such as Maris Piper or King Edwards. Allow around 175g -225g of potatoes per adult depending on appetites.

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Add the goose fat and/or oil to a heavy roasting tray that’s large enough to take all your potatoes in a single layer and place it in the oven.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into even pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate. Rinse under cold water to remove the surface starch.

3. Place the cut potatoes in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Add a pinch of salt, then turn the heat to high and bring the water to the boil.

4. Turn the heat down and simmer the potatoes for 7 minutes, then drain in a colander. Let them sit in the colander for a few minutes until the steam evaporates as this will help dry them before roasting.

5. Return the potatoes to the empty saucepan, pop the lid on and shake the pan vigorously. This will roughen up the edges of the potatoes so the hot fat can penetrate – when cooked you’ll end up with crunchy, crispy potatoes.

6. Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes, and shake again so that they’re evenly coated. Remove your roasting tin from the oven and carefully add the potatoes – the fat should be hot enough to sizzle – turn your potatoes so they’re coated in the hot fat.

7. Return the tin to the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve straightaway.

TIPS

Try using a mix of goose fat and sunflower oil to roast your potatoes. The goose fat adds loads of flavour, while the high smoke point of the sunflower oil means you can get the oil really hot before adding the potatoes. The result will be delicious tasting, crunchy potatoes.

For extra crunchy roasties, try sprinkling the parboiled potatoes with a little polenta, rather than flour, before popping them in the oven.