serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
1:45 hour
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
1:45
hour
difficulty
Easy
level
This recipe makes roast potatoes just the way I like them – with a crisp, glass-like crust and a fluffy interior. Don't scrimp on the amount of oil added to the pan – it is the fat gathering in the cracks that makes the potatoes so crispy. Olive oil works really well or you can use goose fat or beef dripping, but they will give a different flavour. The garlic and rosemary are optional. You can either add them to the water when boiling the potatoes or to the roasting tray 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg large Maris Piper potatoes
- 1 head garlic, split into cloves and bashed with the flat part of a knife or by hand (optional)
- 30 g rosemary sprigs (optional)
- olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160ºC fan/gas mark 4.
- Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Put them in a bowl under running water to wash the starch off.
- Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan then add the garlic and rosemary, if using, and bring to the boil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and almost breaking apart. Drain carefully and leave to cool in the colander.
- Meanwhile, pour 5 mm of olive oil into a roasting tray large enough to hold the potatoes in one layer. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes to preheat the oil.
- Add the potatoes to the pan and coat them in the hot oil. Place the tray back in the oven for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the potatoes gently every 20 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy all over.
- Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
This recipe makes roast potatoes just the way I like them – with a crisp, glass-like crust and a fluffy interior. Don't scrimp on the amount of oil added to the pan – it is the fat gathering in the cracks that makes the potatoes so crispy. Olive oil works really well or you can use goose fat or beef dripping, but they will give a different flavour. The garlic and rosemary are optional. You can either add them to the water when boiling the potatoes or to the roasting tray 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
