Simple Crunchy Roast Potatoes (Foolproof!)

roast potatoes on a brown baking tray sprinkled with salt

Simple Crunchy Roast Potatoes (Foolproof!)

The Best Roast Potatoes recipe. Perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Roast Potato perfection in a few easy steps.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine English

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 10

Servings adults

Calories 343kcal

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Ingredients

1 kg floury potatoes Preferably King Edwards
5 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp salt

Metric - U S Customary

Instructions

Switch your oven onto 220°C/425° F/Gas Mark 7
I start with peeling and cutting the bigger potatoes into large triangle shapes. It is how my mother made them and something that I cannot change but feel free to mix the shapes up.
I then parboil them covered in plenty of water in a large saucepan. I do this until they are seriously soft around the edges. This takes about 8 minutes on a medium heat.
Care does need to be taken here as you do not want them to be too soft right the way through otherwise they will break completely up when you shake them. So I keep checking how soft they are after 5 minutes with a fork.
Whilst your potatoes are parboiling put your large roasting tray and oil in your hot oven. It needs to be in the oven at least 10 minutes before the potatoes go into it. I like to use a reusable liner on my tray to stop the potatoes from sticking to the tray. See notes.
Drain the potatoes carefully in a colander and leave for 5 minutes to lose most of the steam.
Shake in the colander or tip them back into the saucepan and cover with the lid. Shake with your hand on top of the lid for about 5 seconds. Have a look in and see if the edges are fluffy enough. Repeat if not.
Remove your roasting tray carefully and place on top of a medium heat just to keep the heat on the go. If this is too difficult then just work quickly on a work surface.
Obviously the tin will be crazy hot and the fat will spit so take the necessary precautions to protect your work top and yourself.
Turn the potatoes in the fat. I use a couple of teaspoons to do this. You want each potato to be well covered.
Put them in the oven and allow to sizzle away for about 35 minutes, turning once in the last 10 minutes of cooking to really get a fabulous golden brown all over.
Remove from the oven and either serve immediately from the tray or put in a warm serving dish. If you leave them at all in the tray, after a minute or so they will start to absorb too much fat.
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Notes

Using the right variety of potatoes is key. My first choice is King Edwards followed by Maris Piper. King Edwards fluff up the easiest. The potatoes must be floury. Failing that red skinned potatoes such as Rooster. Click here for more information about what potatoes are best for what sort of cooking.

The oven, your roasting tray and fat/oil must be hot to trot right from the get go. We are talking 220 C/425 F/Gas Mark 7 for at least 10 minutes before the potatoes go in.

I like to line my baking tray with a reusable liner to stop the potatoes sticking to the bottom. I scrunch pieces of foil up and slot them in either end to lift the liner up so that the oil stays in the middle and doesn't leak under the liner and disappear.

The potatoes need to be parboiled enough that when shaken about in the saucepan they get really fluffy edges. It is these fluffy edges that are responsible for the whole crispy situation.

I sometimes use either beef dripping or lard to cook the potatoes in. It is sold in blocks in the supermarkets and REALLY gives the potatoes a fabulous flavour. Plus it is very affordable. Duck and Goose Fat is another option. Obviously this does not work if you're vegetarian so use a vegetable oil instead.

Nutrition