Tips on Roasting Potatoes

Tips on Roasting Potatoes

How do you get the best roasted potatoes? There are various different techniques that can be used to roast potatoes and each one produces a different texture and taste. On this page we will describe various methods used by chefs that you can try out to find the best way that suits your taste and will go perfectly with your roast meal.

The best varieties of potato for making chips or for roasting are 'Arran Victory' or 'Maris Piper'. These provide a crispy outside with a fluffy inside due to the balance of water and starch contained within them. The waxier varieties are best used in salads or simply boiled.

The basic method

This method is the simplest and oldest. It produces a roast potato with a soft-ish but thick and slightly tough/leathery skin. Perfectly edible and used in several recipes on this site.

1. Wash the potatoes and dry them off. Dry your hands.

2. Peel the potatoes, do not wash again in water. This keeps the starch on the outside.

3. Fill the base of a roasting tin with sunflower or groundnut oil.

4. Cut the potatoes in half or thirds to about 3cm by 3cm.

5. Roll them in the oil ensuring that they are completely covered.

6. Roast in a hot oven (about 200°C) for about an hour until sufficiently browned.

The risky but crispy method

This method is the riskiest for a novice chef as the timing of your actions are vital to produce the best results. It produces a roast potato with crispy outside and a very soft, light and fluffy inside. You get the most potato flavour from the potato using this option.

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them, but save the skins.

2. Cut the potatoes into thirds to maximize the surface area.

3. Wash the starch off by placing the potatoes in a large bowl of water then leave under a running cold tap for a few minutes.

4. Place the potatoes into a large pan of salted water (if the water is not well salted, the potatoes will not be crispy).

5. Wrap the potato peelings in a muslin cloth or thin tea towel, tie it off and add into the pot to infuse.

6. Bring the pot to the boil. Gently simmer for about 20 minutes.

7. When the edges of the potatoes start to break up, remove from the pot and drain in a colander, without wasting any small pieces that may have broken off. Cook for as far as you dare until before they break-up completely into a soup, the difference can be a matter of seconds.

8. To roughen up the sides of the potatoes further, give them a gentle shake in the colander but do not allow them to break up.

9. Leave the potatoes aside to dry out for about 10 to 15 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, heat a roasting tray with the base covered in olive oil.

11. Remove the hot oil and add the potatoes. Turn them over to coat completely with oil.

12. Cook on 200°C for around 1 hour.

The super crispy yet simple method

This method is an easy way to get fantastically crispy roasted spuds. It produces a roast potato with a very crispy outside and a dry fluffy inside. This option uses goose fat, which is full of 'good' cholesterol.

1. Wash the potatoes and peel them.

2. Cut the potatoes into thirds to maximize the surface area.

3. Place the potatoes into a large pan of salted water (if the water is not well salted, the potatoes will not be very crispy).

4. Bring the pot to the boil. Boil on high for only 4 to 5 minutes until the outside of the potato begins to soften.

5. Remove from the pot and drain in a colander. Allow the steam to escape a little then return to the pot.

6. Sprinkle over a couple of spoons of flour (or fine semolina for extra crispiness) and dredge the potatoes in the flour until fully covered by putting the lid on and shaking the pot around.

7. Meanwhile, heat a roasting tray with the base covered in a 1cm deep layer of goose or duck fat. The fat should be very hot.

8. Carefully transfer the potatoes into the hot fat. Spoon the fat over the potatoes to ensure they are fully covered.

9. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour with the oven on the maximum setting, turning once or twice (or simply basting) to recoat the potatoes in fat.

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