Roast Potatoes
Roast potatoes are what happen when a regular potato decides to live its best life. They go into the oven as humble little lumps and come out golden, crispy, and fully aware of their own power. The outside says crunch, the inside says hug, and together they say, “You didn’t need a main dish anyway.” They soak up gravy like it’s their chosen career and somehow manage to be both elegant and deeply unhinged at the same time. If carbs had royalty, roast potatoes would absolutely wear a tiny crown and demand more butter.
They have an unfair reputation for being impressive, when in reality they are just chopped vegetables with good PR. You cut them up, throw them in oil, sprinkle on some salt like you’re casting a very tasty spell, and shove them in the oven until they forget who they used to be. No whisking, no rising, no emotional commitment. They simply sit there and become golden and important while you do literally anything else. It’s less “cooking” and more “politely supervising a transformation”.
But, like most things, they can be zsuzsed up. I always parboil, it just makes sense to me to make the edges more eager to crisp. I add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into the water. Boiling potatoes in alkaline water with bicarb breaks down their exteriors, creating a starchy slurry that crisps up in the oven, enhancing both texture and flavour.
So this is less of a recipe, more of a process note.
Peel and chop potatoes to your desired size.
Put into a pan and add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and a big pinch of salt. Cover with cold water.
Put on the hob over a high heat and bring to a boil, uncovered.
Once it comes up to a boil leave the heat high to have a rolling, vigorous boil and leave them for 2-3 minutes if they’re on the smaller side, or 4-5 minutes if they’re chunkier.
Strain and return the potatoes to the pain and let them air for 15 minutes. While this is happening you can put your chosen oil (I just use vegetable oil cos i’m no’ made of money) into a roasting pan and put into the oven and turn on to 180degrees. This’ll pre-heat the oven and bring the oil up to a cosy temp.
After 15 minutes, give the potatoes a shake (a shoogle, if you will) to rough the edges up. Put your desired season on. (I usually just do a fuck-ton of salt and pepper, but have been known to throw in garlic, paprika, cumin, rosemary etc etc etc)
This is when you have to be careful! Remove the roasting tray out of the oven and pour about 80% of the oil into the pan with the potatoes. Carefully toss the potatoes in the oil then pour everything back onto the roasting tray (AKA a roaster looool).
Chuck them in the oven for 30 minutes, turn the potatoes so another edge is at the bottom and put back in the oven for at least 15 more minutes. I usually go got another 30 as I like them criiiisp.
EAT!
My favourite Girl Dinner is a big plate of roast potatoes with honey mustard mayo. It’s filthy. And I love it.
