Roast potatoes are one of the best things about Christmas dinner and are universally loved by everyone. It can be hard to get them perfect, however, to achieve a fluffy inside and crispy surface without being too oily. Here are three tips that you can use to elevate your roast potatoes.
Par Boil
The first stage to getting your potatoes perfect is to cut them into even sizes. This will ensure you can get the most regular heat distribution and cooking time. If you want them to be extra crispy, it’s also worth removing the skin, as they often end up more like wedges with their skin on. This tip is about par-boiling though, which means boiling your potatoes in heavily salted water until they are mostly cooked. Depending on their size, this will take about 10-15 minutes.
Pre-heat Your Oil
The next stage is about making sure your potatoes go into a tray of hot oil. This is important as your potatoes don’t want to sit in cold oil waiting to heat up, as this can make them too oily. Pre-heat your oil in the oven whilst your potatoes, so that when you put your potatoes in, they start to sizzle.
Use Alternative Oils
If you were planning on cooking your potatoes in just olive oil, this is one factor you can improve upon to achieve your perfect potatoes. Olive oil is not great at high temperatures, and it’s better to start the process of roasting your potatoes in an oil such as canola or sunflower. If you want, you can use less oil to begin with, and then add some olive oil for flavor near the end of their cooking time. You can also cook your potatoes in animal fats to imbue them with the deepest flavor. Goose fat is traditional, and will make sure your potatoes taste absolutely delicious.
