Crunchy Roast Potatoes

How good is to have good crunchy roast potatoes that are super crunchy and tasty. Fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It is a must with any type of roast & steak. There are a few tricks and tips that need to be followed to get the best crunchy potatoes.

Do you need to cook potatoes before roasting potatoes?

To get crunchy roast potatoes, it is always essential to first parboil the potatoes. Now I will reveal a secret tip that we used to do as chefs in restaurants. Roast potatoes take at least 1 hour to cook because you want them truly crunchy. so when it comes to serving guests in hotels or restaurants, we cant make the guests wait for 1 hour. we always parboiled it and finished off in the oven for 20 minutes. We also had a few other tricks we used to do when we have been rushed to send out the food soon, but I will keep that as a trade secret.

Now at that time, we were only doing that because it was quick and easy during service. But then when I started developing a recipe for roast potatoes, it got me thinking is there a reason behind why we parboil the potatoes first. It absolutely did. when you parboil, the interior remains fluffy, with the moisture absorption that happens while boiling, then when you roast it in the oven, it becomes crunchy around the edges.
I definitely have cooked roast potatoes, in the oven without parboiling them, but it is nowhere near compared to the same results as the parboiled and oven cooked potatoes. Roasting potatoes just in the oven will result in a firmer-texture, and if u definitely want crispy and crunchy potatoes, then boil the potatoes first.

Best oil for crunchy roast potatoes?

If you want truly flavoursome roast potatoes, definitely use duck fat, as that will result in extra crunchiness and flavour, due to the higher fat content. But I eat roast potatoes at least once a week, and I am very health conscious, so I use olive oil and it works remarkably well for crunchy potatoes, canola, vegetable oil will be good as well.

Herbs to use on crunchy roast potatoes

If you are looking to use a herb on the potatoes, to add while the potatoes are cooking, definitely use rosemary or thyme as it will hold its colour and shape when cooking in the oven. Parsley also can be added but this should be only added once the potatoes are fully cooked, as the parsley will burn and turn bitter if it is cooked with the potatoes.

Temperature to roast potatoes

Remember it is always essential to roast potatoes in very high oven temperature. 220C because if you roast potatoes in a low temperature, then it will only make the potatoes soggy. Always remember to preheat the oven before baking.

Are roast potatoes gluten free?

Yes they are, as there is only potatoes, oil, garlic and herbs in this recipe

How often should I turn the roast potatoes?

You only should turn it once.

When to season roast potatoes?

When cooking potatoes, it is very important to add salt when parboiling because when boiling, the water is absorbed into the potato, which means salt will be absorbed as well. when roasting it will not season the potatoes, so make sure to add salt while boiling.

Which potatoes are best for roast potato in Australia?

Best Potatoes in Australia are the Dutch cream or sebago potatoes

Can roast potatoes be prepared in advance

Yes you can parboil the potato in advance, but the roasting needs to be done just before serving so the potatoes stay crispy.

The secret for crispy roast potatoes

There is no other secret than having your oven really hot, it is important to roast in a very high temperature, as the potatoes are already cooked when parboiling, so the aim of roasting it in the oven is to crisp them up.