How to make perfect roast potatoes

The pursuit for perfect roast potatoes is something many home cooks can relate to. In search of a golden crisp coating and a perfectly soft and fluffy centre, when done right, the roast potato is nothing short of sensational. Paired with a slow cooked stew, simple casserole or classic Sunday roast, these crunchy potatoes are a must have for some of our favourite meals.

Learn how to achieve potato perfection with our easy how-to video. This best-ever spud dish is sure to become a big part of your foodie repertoire, and one you won’t be able to resist sharing with your friends and family

Perfect Crispy Roast Potatoes

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1kg starchy potatoes such as Nicola or Nadine variety, washed
Fresh garlic cloves, unpeeled
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced)
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add unpeeled potatoes and gently boil for approx. 20-25 minutes or until soft. Potatoes are ready when they can be easily pierced with a knife
Plunge cooked potatoes in a large bowl of iced water. When cool enough to handle, peel off potato skins using your hands (as shown in video)
Cut peeled potatoes in half, then using a fork, fluff them by grating incisions lengthways
Spread potatoes over a large baking sheet lined with baking paper. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, add garlic cloves and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper
Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden and crisp

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Why should you par boil potatoes before roasting?

The first step to getting more crunchy roast potatoes is boiling them first. You almost want to feel as if you’ve taken the potatoes “too far” and by this we mean you want the starchy outer of the potato to become quite fluffy. These soft outer edges are what will crisp up perfectly when baked.

Our easy potato peeling hack

You may never peel potatoes the old-fashioned again after watching this cooking tip. Simply boil the potatoes with the skin until soft. You may even see the skins just starting to come away on their own. Test by piercing with the tip of a knife to be sure they’re soft, then plunge the potatoes straight into iced water so you can handle them quickly and safely. Then simply use your hands to push away the skins. They will easily fall away and help create some of the fluffy texture you want.

Why the fork?

As seen in the video, this tip is the one that will give you lots of craggly, crispy edges and ridges. Once cooked and peeled, cut each potato in half, then lay it on it’s flat side on a lined baking sheet. Fluff each potato by dragging a fork across its surface lengthways. Drizzle with olive oil, add a wedge of garlic and a pinch of sea salt and pepper, then bake until golden and crisp.

Choosing the right potato

You need to select a starchy potato variety in order to achieve the desired buttery and creamy flesh for perfect potatoes. Varieties like the Nadine or Nicola potato are great choices for roasting. See our full guide for choosing the right potato variety.

Now that you know how to make perfect, crispy roast potatoes we’re sure you’ll want to enjoy them alongside something wonderful, below are recipes that would pair perfectly with your crunchy roast potatoes.

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