Achieving the perfect roast potato can be a challenge, but there is a simple way to ensure your roasties are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
While the meat typically takes centre stage during a Sunday roast, for many people, the true hero of the meal is undoubtedly the roast potatoes.
The perfect roast potato should have a golden, crispy exterior while remaining soft and fluffy within, but nailing this winning formula isn’t always straightforward, especially when juggling numerous other parts of a good roast dinner.
Simply leaving the potatoes in the oven for a long time might seem like the logical approach to achieving that crispy shell, but it often leads to burnt potatoes with insides that become dry and hard, rather than light and fluffy.
However, according to culinary experts, the right prep can help you nail the perfect golden roastie, and it’s all about getting organised beforehand.
The trick is simple: parboil and then freeze your potatoes ahead of time. Preparing ingredients in advance isn’t just sensible to ease the cooking burden on the day itself, but it can also enhance the flavour of your dishes, resulting in crispier roasties when you eventually cook them.
This works because parboiling helps to remove moisture from the potato surface, meaning they develop a superior crisp during cooking while maintaining that delightfully fluffy interior.
Outlining the advantages of freezing roast potatoes prior to cooking, Sainsbury’s said: “Freeze up to a month ahead. Parboiling potatoes before freezing them is not only a great way to get ahead, it also makes the potatoes extra crunchy when cooked. Roast from frozen while your meat is resting.”
How to get the crispiest roast potatoes
Preparing the roasties is so simple, and if you do all of this in advance, it’s virtually effortless when you actually get round to making them.
Peel and cut the spuds into small chunks, then tip them into a pan. Add some boiling water from the kettle and leave them to boil for eight to 12 minutes.
Once the potatoes have been parboiled, they should be drained in a colander and shaken to roughen the edges, then returned to the pan. Place a clean tea towel over the pan and allow the potatoes to steam dry and cool for approximately five minutes.
Next, remove the tea towel and spread the potatoes across a baking tray – ensuring they’re not touching – and loosely cover with clingfilm before freezing until solid. Once frozen, tip the potatoes into a large freezer bag and store in your freezer.
When it comes to roasting your potatoes, there’s no need to defrost them beforehand either.
Simply heat some olive oil in a roasting tin in the oven at around 200C fan for approximately five minutes, then carefully add your potatoes, coating them thoroughly with the hot oil and cook for around 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Culinary specialists at Tesco added: “Freezing cooked potatoes has no negative impact on the taste or texture of your cooking, and in some cases, will add to the delicious crispiness that makes potatoes so irresistible.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login