Christmas Day is just around the corner, and if you're preparing the dinner this year, you might be concerned about how you'll make the roast potatoes.
If done right, homemade roasties can be the star of the show - but it can be hard to achieve that perfectly crispy golden skin and fluffy inside that makes them taste so good.
But there's no need to panic, because we've gathered some helpful advice from some of the UK's top chefs. From Gordon Ramsay to Marco Pierre White, they've all shared their top tips for getting roast potatoes done right that will have your guests asking for seconds.
Here are six different techniques you can use this Christmas to make your roast potatoes the best they've ever been.
Gordon Ramsay's 'very best' roast potatoes
Boil first: Make sure your potatoes (Maris Pipers or King Edwards are a good choice) cook evenly by chopping into equal sized pieces, then par-boil in salted water until just tender.
Steam dry: Get rid of any excess moisture by leaving the potatoes to steam dry in the colander for at least five minutes once drained.
Preheat: Add fat to your roasting tray – duck or goose fat roast potatoes are great at Christmas, otherwise most oils (except extra virgin olive oil) work well and are useful for vegetarians and vegans. Put the tray in a hot oven for at least five minutes to heat through – the potatoes should sizzle when they're placed on it.
Crispy outsides: Gently shake up the steam-dried potatoes to create fluffy edges that will crisp up while roasting. For extra crunch, sprinkle the potatoes with semolina and toss to coat.
Even coating: Carefully toss the potatoes so that they are fully covered in the hot fat and spread out in a single layer before returning to the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Toss again a few times during cooking to ensure all the edges get extra golden and crunchy.
Added flavour: For a change, Gordon loves to add a little spice to his roast potatoes at Christmas – turmeric adds an earthy taste and amazing yellow colour, while chilli flakes add a little heat. Try any herbs and spices you like, just toss with the potatoes before roasting.
The egg trick
To speed up the cooking process and add extra flavour, chef Dan Kluger likes to incorporate egg whites into his potatoes.
In his Salt and Pepper Potatoes recipe, he uses whole baby or new potatoes rather than chopping up the larger ones. All you need to do is whip up some egg whites and coat the spuds in it, then season with salt and pepper.
Then, just cook them in the oven for 20 minutes. The egg white will make the skins much crispier and also help the seasoning bind to the potatoes .
'Seven minute shuffle' hack
Tom "Westy" Westerland, head chef at The Grill – Crocker's Henley, shared his 'seven minute shuffle' technique.
He said: "This is my trick for our roasties. I call it the seven minute shuffle.
"The first important factor is choosing the potato – you need a dirty potato like a Maris Piper or a King Edward. Dirty potatoes have a lower sugar content in so they crisp up better without burning.
"We peel them and cut them into what I call "roast potato shape" – this is basically as many edges as possible. It's the trick to maximising your crispy edges."
Tom added: "We then cover them with cold water and a good handful of salt."
Explaining the "shuffle" aspect, he said: "Bring them to the boil and then rapidly boil them for seven minutes.
"Drain them off, ruffle them in the colander with some rock salt. (This is the 7 minute shuffle)."
Finally, the chef added: "We then preheat an oven tray with beef fat at 200 degrees Celsius and plunge the potatoes into it.
"Roast them at a high heat until golden and crispy. Finish with some smoked rock salt (everything's better with some smoke!)."
Marco Pierre White's crispy roasties
Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White has a foolproof recipe for creating the perfect roasties this Christmas, or at any time of the year, using clarified butter for even better results.
Ingredients:
- Nine medium-sized potatoes
- Unsalted butter or duck or goose fat
- Chicken stock cube
Method:
For the clarified butter:
- Slowly heat 200g of chopped unsalted butter in a pan.
- Discard the surface liquid (made up of milk solids and water).
The remaining golden liquid is clarified butter.
Potato recipe:
- Cut the potatoes in half and then cut those in half too.
- An hour before you plan on dishing up, put the potatoes in a saucepan of unsalted cold water. Place on a high heat, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, put the clarified butter into a roasting tin and sprinkle in a chicken stock cube for extra flavour.
- Heat the fat in the oven at 190°C/Gas Mark 5.
- Once the potatoes start to crack, remove from the heat and drain, then place them in the tray of hot fat.
- Baste them well and return to the oven, cooking for around 45 minutes.
The "potato queen"'s addictive recipe
Nutritionist Laura Ford took to Instagram to show off her 'addictive' roast potato recipe which requires an easy ingredient you'll probably already have in your cupboard.
Dubbed the 'potato queen', Melbourne-based dietitian coats her potatoes in honey, an unlikely move that had her Instagram followers drooling.
On the post, she wrote: "The most addictive potatoes you’ll ever eat are these honey butter roast potatoes.
"The perfect balance of sweet and salty with the crispiest edges! Sorry in advance, because honestly, you won't be able to stop eating these guys."
Ingredients:
- 2kg red baby potatoes, cut into 1cm slices
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50g butter (can be vegan)
- All-purpose seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- 1 – 2 tbsp honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
- Fresh thyme leaves to garnish (optional)
Method:
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook the potatoes for four to five minutes until tender but not mushy - you want them to hold their shape and not fall apart.
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 200C. Place olive oil and butter onto a tray and place in the oven for two minutes until the butter has melted.
- Add the drained potatoes and turn potatoes in the oil to ensure they’re well coated. Season with all-purpose seasoning, salt, and pepper. Ensure the potatoes are spread out evenly and not overlapping. This will allow for maximum crispiness so if you need to use two trays, do so.
- Bake potatoes for 30 mins, then flip and bake for a further 25 to 30 mins until crispy. Note: this time is guidance, so if your potatoes don't look crispy at 30 mins, continue to cook until they're golden brown.
- Drizzle honey (or maple syrup) over the potatoes while hot and garnish with fresh thyme.
Mum's 'secret' ingredient
The unlikely ingredient is said to make your potatoes taste better than ever, according to one woman in the Mums Who Clean Facebook group.
All you need is your potatoes, a drizzle of oil and some French Onion dry soup mixture.
The mum explained: "When doing roast spuds, peel, cut and place in baking dish. Get French Onion dry soup mix and sprinkle over top of spuds.
"Then sprinkle your oil over that and bake. It's the only way I do roast spuds now. It's the bomb – my mum taught me!"
Will you be trying any of these this Christmas? Let us know in the comments.
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