Fridge Friend Recipes
Roast Potatoes recipe
Plain crisp roast potatoes for a Christmas dinner, with fluffy centres and golden edges.
70 min · Easy · British Jump to method
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Maris Piper potatoes
- 3 tbsp duck fat
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 286 kcal |
| Protein | 4.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49.1 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.4 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Sugar | 1.2 g |
| Sodium | 775 mg |
Why this works
A savoury, energy-dense side dish that provides useful carbohydrate and potassium from potatoes, but is relatively high in salt and added saturated fat.
Potassium. Potatoes are a good source of potassium, which supports normal blood pressure and muscle function.
Vitamin C. Maris Piper potatoes contribute some vitamin C, although some is lost during roasting.
Salt content. Two teaspoons of sea salt across 6 servings makes this a relatively high-sodium dish.
Method
- Heat the oven to 240°C (Fan 220°C, 464°F, Gas Mark 8½).
Give the oven a full preheat so the roasting tray and fat are properly hot before the potatoes go in, which helps start the browning straight away rather than steaming them.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks.
Aim for evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate; if some are much larger, trim them down now rather than risking a mix of firm and collapsing chunks.
- Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8 minutes until the edges are just soft.
Start them in cold water so the centres warm gently and the outside does not break up too soon, and stop the simmer when a fork just meets a little resistance in the middle.
- Drain well and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes.
Tip them into a colander and let the excess moisture escape fully; any pooled water will cause the fat to spit and dull the crust.
- Shake the potatoes in the pan to rough up the edges.
Put the lid back on and give one sharp shake so the corners are just frayed, not smashed, as those ragged edges are what turn properly crisp.
- Put the duck fat in a roasting tray and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes until very hot.
Watch for the fat to look glossy and almost shimmering, but do not leave it long enough to smoke, or the duck fat can taste bitter.
- Carefully add the potatoes to the hot fat, turn to coat, then roast for 25 minutes.
Lower the potatoes into the tray away from you to avoid splashes, then turn them so every face is lightly coated and none are sitting in a puddle.
- Turn the potatoes and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
Leave them alone for the first half of roasting so a crust can form; if you move them too soon, the surfaces are likely to stick and tear.
- Season with sea salt and a little black pepper before serving.
Use a spatula to turn rather than toss them hard, and keep roasting until the underside is a rich brown rather than pale gold, which gives the best crunch.
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