Without a shadow of a doubt, roast spuds have to be our favourite thing about a Sunday lunch (alongside a homemade apple crumble to follow of course).
There are lots of recipes available to follow online and in cook books for the ultimate roast potatoes but there was one method that particularly caught our eye.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's 'Best Roast Potato' recipe is a bit different to many we had stumbled across before, so we decided to try it out.
READ MORE: We tried Jamie Oliver's 'easy' Yorkshire pudding recipe and this was the end result
Jamie said on his website: “Simple as roast potatoes are, there’s a handful of tiny, but important, details – picked up throughout my cooking career – that when combined give you this ultimate recipe, which I believe creates the perfect roast potato. What a luxury."
Needless to say they were immense.
Crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle, they tasted absolutely divine.
They did require some prep work as he suggests peeling and buttering them up a day in advance, but it was worth it.
Jamie Oliver's Best Roast Potato recipe (serves 5)
Ingredients
1.25 kg medium Maris Piper potatoes
2 tablespoons goose fat or unsalted butter
Drizzle olive oil
1/2 bulb of garlic
1/4 bunch fresh sage
Method
Get ahead
Peel the potatoes, keeping them whole, and ideally all about the same size (8cm). Parboil them in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes – this will ensure that the insides become really fluffy.
Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes – this will help the fat to stick to the potatoes. Give the colander a few light shakes to chuff up the edges of the potatoes, giving you maximum surface area for a crispy exterior as they roast.
Place the goose fat or butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in your largest roasting tray. Tip in the potatoes, add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss to coat, and spread out in one fairly snug, even layer but with small gaps between them.
Cover and pop in the fridge overnight.
On the day
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
Squash the garlic bulbs, then lightly crush each unpeeled clove and add to the tray – this gives you sweet, caramelised garlic and adds a gentle perfume to the potatoes.
Roast for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are crisp and golden all over.
Remove the tray from the oven. We’re nearly there, but we’ve got one last application of love and care, which is the game-changer. Gently half-squash each potato with a fish slice or masher so they kind of push into each other and fill the tray.
Pick the sage leaves and – importantly – toss with a little oil (this will transmit the flavour and make them deliciously crisp). Sprinkle the sage over the potatoes and roast for a further 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and amazing.
217 calories per serving
7.6g fat per serving
Gluten free
Vegan if using dairy free butter
Easy
Meal prep
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Peel the potatoes, keeping them whole, and ideally all about the same size (8cm). Parboil them in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes – this will ensure that the insides become really fluffy. 2. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes – this will help the fat to stick to the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes, keeping them whole, and ideally all about the same size (8cm). Parboil them in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes – this will ensure that the insides become really fluffy. 2. Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes – this will help the fat to stick to the potatoes.
In a video online, Gordon explained: “For crispy roast potatoes, you can depend on them, my tip is to parboil them, leave them to steam dry, then sprinkle them with semolina or flour, and then give them a good roughing up.”
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.
Do I have to boil potatoes before roasting? Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.
Toss the potatoes with the canola oil, garlic paste and salt and pepper to taste. Place on a sheet tray and roast until cooked through and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately fold in the herbs.
You might not be using enough oil. If you're not using enough oil to coat the potato, it won't get crispy as it bakes. You might be using the wrong type of potato. Potatoes with a high starch content, such as Russet potatoes, are better for baking because they become fluffy and crispy when cooked.
Goose fat is the traditional choice, and a roast potato favourite because its high smoke point makes for a crispy coating. Goose fat is especially good for a Christmas dinner because it is rich and silky and adds to the decadence of the meal.
(Note: parchment paper is better to prevent sticking and aluminum foil yields crispier results but it does need to be lightly greased and may still stick.) Roast potatoes for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of larger potato pieces.
If you're prepping with smaller pieces, don't soak for more than 12 hours. This trick is handy, but it'll only work for about 24 hours — so don't prep too far in advance. After too long, they'll start to take on water and may lose their structure when you go to cook them.
Russet potatoes will produce crisper crusts and fluffier centers. Yukon Golds will be slightly less crisp and have creamier centers, with a darker color and deeper flavor. You can also use a mix of the two. The potatoes should be cut into very large chunks, at least 2 to 3 inches or so.
When the corn starch comes into contact with the hot oil, it forms a barrier that traps moisture within the potato while also developing a crunchy crust. This results in fries that are both tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, mimicking the texture of fries you might find in restaurants.
Sprinkle your parboiled potatoes with flour. This gives potatoes extra crunch. A tablespoon is all you need! Throw in some whole, unpeeled garlic cloves or a handful of herbs (thyme, sage or rosemary all work well) with the potatoes when adding them to the hot roasting tin.
Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy. Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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