These roast potatoes are a joyful celebration of texture and flavour, perfect for festive tables or weeknight dinners. The technique centers on increasing surface area so each potato becomes gloriously crispy while remaining fluffy inside. This guide fits right into the world of cooking, easy recipes and shows three delicious ways to roast potatoes with pantry-friendly ingredients.
Why this method works
The secret is twofold. First, the hasselback-style slicing opens the potato so hot fat and aromatics can seep into the flesh. Second, parboiling and then roughening the outsides creates starchy flakes that crisp beautifully in the oven. A final burst of high heat and a quick smash mid-roast gives maximum crunch without losing the soft interior.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Maris Piper or other roasting potatoes — medium sized
- 3 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for one tray
- 1 knob butter + 1.5 tbsp olive oil for the butter version
- 3–4 tbsp goose fat (or pork fat/beef tallow) for the festive version
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (secret tang)
- Fresh herbs — rosemary, thyme, sage, bay
- 1 whole bulb garlic (skin on)
- Zest of 1 clementine (or other citrus)
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional toppings: grated cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, chopped hazelnuts
Also a reminder for all fans of cooking, easy recipes
Simple tweaks like waking rosemary under hot water and leaving garlic skins on make a big difference without any fuss.
Method
- Peel or leave skins on according to preference. Parboil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until they start to split at the edges. Drain and let steam-dry for a minute in a colander.
- For hasselback effect, rest the potato on two spoons and slice every 0.5 cm down to the spoon to avoid cutting through. The slices should fan open but stay connected at the base.
- Make an aromatic paste by bashing herbs with a pinch of salt (the salt helps abrade and release oils). Add chosen fat (olive oil, butter, or goose fat) and mix to a fragrant oil.
- Place potatoes cut-side up in a tray, spoon the flavoured oil into the cuts and over the potatoes. Roast at 180–190 C (350 F) for 40–50 minutes until golden.
- After about 40 minutes, take the tray out, press each potato gently to let the starchy interior puff out a little, then return to the oven for 10 more minutes until extra-crispy.
- If using toppings like cheese, add small knobs or grated cheese and return to the oven for another 10–15 minutes until melting and gnarly.
Three flavour variations
- Olive oil, rosemary, garlic — classic, light and herby.
- Butter, clementine zest, sage — subtle citrus sweetness and buttery depth.
- Goose fat, bay, thyme — rich, festive and deeply savoury.
Expert tips for superb results
- Parboil until edges begin to break — that extra flaking starch equals crunch.
- Use an abrasive pinch of salt when bruising herbs — it helps release essential oils for more punch.
- Leave garlic skins on — they protect the garlic and give a gentle, roasted garlic flavour.
- Add a splash of red wine vinegar — it vanishes but leaves a little tang that heightens flavour.
- For extra texture, sprinkle toasted hazelnuts or crisped breadcrumbs just before serving.
Crispy outside and fluffy inside — the perfect roast potato.
Serving and storage
These potatoes are happiest straight from the oven. Leftovers keep well for 2–3 days in the fridge and reheat crisply in a hot oven or under a grill. This approach sits comfortably in the collection of cooking, easy recipes — delicious results with minimal stress.
This article was created from the video Perfect Roast Potatoes By Jamie Oliver with the help of AI.
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