Roast potatoes will be ‘extra crispy’ and delicious if 1 easy step is done before boiling

To achieve the crispiest roast potatoes, there’s one ingredient everyone should be adding to the saucepan before parboiling

Everyone loves a crispy roast potato, but ensuring the results are golden and crunchy can be difficult. There are myriad methods and techniques home cooks can use to achieve crispy edges and fluffy insides on a roastie, but you don’t have to wait until they’re in the oven.

Food content creator Emma, better known as Ems Foodie Fix on TikTok, recently shared some top-secret tips for creating the crispiest roast potatoes. Emma explained that she learned all she needed to know about making the best roast potatoes from a pub chef.

In a TikTok video from earlier this month, she said: “A pub chef taught me four secrets to make extra crispy roast potatoes. Listen to that crunch.”

You can give the potatoes a helping hand right from the start. When parboiling the potatoes, add bicarbonate of soda to the saucepan.

The same method is used by American chef and food writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. Kenji’s recipe calls for adding half a teaspoon of baking soda to approximately two litres of water, enough to cook about three pounds (450g) of cubed potatoes. The potatoes are then par-boiled in the baking soda water.

So how does it work? As baking soda is alkaline, adding it to the water for the potatoes creates an alkaline environment that breaks down the potato’s outer edges, releasing starches and forming a starchy slurry that crisps beautifully when roasted.

Once the potatoes are parboiled, drain away the water and give them a good shake in the colander. The baking soda will help the edges of the potatoes break down more easily, making them craggy.

These craggy edges will crisp up beautifully when roasted. When roasting the potatoes in the oven, Emma recommended turning them at least four times.

Turning will allow the potatoes to be coated in the chosen fat and help the skin turn golden brown. Emma’s last tip is all in the seasoning.

All you need is a simple mix of salt and fresh rosemary to give the spuds some flavour. However, the seasoning should be added after the potatoes are roasted.

Emma said: “We want flavour, not tiny burnt twigs.”

Emma’s video has been viewed over a massive 80,200 times, receiving 5,617 likes and 14 comments. Emily simply replied: “So good.”

JP-ZoSo suggested: “They look fab! I usually add semolina powder to the parboiled spuds, then oven fry them in a shallow tray of Olive oil.”

Zargaloz commented, “These look absolutely amazing,” while another agreed, “Cor, you’ve made me hungry now they look perfect.”

Nicole said: “The most perfect potatoes.”

Chef’s tips for the crispiest roast potatoes

• Add bicarbonate of soda to the water before boiling.
• Give the potatoes a good shake (or chuff) after parboiling.
• Turn the potatoes at least four times in the oven.
• Season with salt and rosemary.