Best Roast Potatoes
November 18, 2020
: 4-6
: 10 min
: 50 min
: Easy
This is my comfort food in winter. There is nothing better than sprinkling sea salt on crispy roast potatoes, straight out of the oven. The type of potato you use makes a huge difference, so try to source chipping potatoes if you can, but Maris Piper also works well.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Kauffman chipping potatoes or Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and quartered (placed in a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to prevent discolouration)
- 80-100 ml vegetable oil (rapeseed or olive oil)
- ½ tablespoon plain flour
- 2 teaspoons, fennel seeds, pan toasted and finely crushed (optional)
- Maldon sea salt, to serve
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan force).
- Step 2 Drain the potatoes and place in a large pot. Barely cover with cold water and put on high heat. When the water is boiling vigorously lower the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 3 Meanwhile, put the vegetable oil in your roasting tin and preheat for about 5 minutes. (Your tin should be large enough to take the potatoes in a single layer, and have a enough height so that the oil won’t spill out).
- Step 4 Drain the potatoes and shake them to rough up the sides. Sprinkle over the flour and ground fennel seeds (if using) and give them another good shake to evenly coat them.
- Step 5 Take the roasting tin out of the oven and very carefully add the potatoes. The oil will be hot so they will spurt and sizzle. Make sure they are spread evenly and coated in oil.
- Step 6 Roast for about 50 minutes, turning halfway through. When golden and crisp sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve immediately.
“Sometimes a little comfort food can go a long way.” Benjamin Bratt
Comfort food: what tastes of home to you? In the article of the same name, food writer Jenny Linford asked chefs, writers and Twitter users around the world this question. While the potatoes are roasting, take some time to think about how you would answer it.
