Everyone has their unique method of preparing and cooking roast potatoes, with some opting for herbs, baking soda or animal fats.
However, using numerous ingredients can often overcomplicate the process making cooking roast potatoes an uneccessary chore that could put you off cooking.
Michelin-trained chef Poppy O’Toole has simplified the process by sharing her “ultimate roasties” recipe that requires just three ingredients and guarantees “perfect spuds every time.”
Poppy’s insistance that this is the “only roast potato you need in your life” had food fan Angela Patrone intrigued. Having tried the recipe for herself last year, she confirmed that: “this has been the only way I’ve cooked my roasties.”
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The perfect addition to your Christmas dinner, Angela is sure that once you try this recipe, you’ll never look back.
How to make the ‘ultimate’ roast potatoes
As the recipe only requires potatoes, salt and vegetable oil it will save you a trip to the supermarket.
Ingredients:
- Four Maris Piper potatoes peeled and cut into equal-sized chunks
- 100ml vegetable oil
- A generous amount of salt
Method
Angela began by peeling the potatoes and cutting each one into four roughly equal-sized pieces. After chopping the potatoes, she rinsed them under cold water in a pan, to wash off any excess starch and ensures the potatoes crisp up nicely in the oven.
After rinsing, she filled the pan with cold water, added salt and put the potatoes on to boil for 15 minutes. Angela said: “A knife can be used to check if they’re done – you don’t want them too soft as they won’t hold their shape.”
She then drained the potatoes and allowed them to steam dry in a colander covered with a tea towel for a further 15 minutes. This step is essential as it “makes them extra fluffy”.
While the potatoes were drying, Angela preheated the oven to 220C Fan, added oil to the baking tray, and placed it in the oven to heat up for five minutes. After 15 minutes, she tossed the potatoes in the colander to fluff them up before carefully transferring them to the hot tray with the oil.
Using a spoon, she ensured all sides of the potatoes were coated in oil before placing them in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the potatoes were removed from the oven and the temperature reduced to 180C Fan.
Angela added: “I turned the potatoes and returned them to the oven for 15 minutes. The cooking time may vary, so keep an eye on them.
“After 15 minutes, I found that my potatoes needed an extra 10 minutes to be perfectly cooked. Finally, I took them out of the oven for the last time, revealing golden and crunchy potatoes.”
To finish, she sprinkled over a bit more salt before cutting into roasties that were perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.