Roast potatoes are the ultimate comfort food side dish, whether served alongside pork chops on a weeknight or as part of a weekend roast dinner. Making homemade roast potatoes is fairly straightforward, yet they can turn out soft, soggy, and greasy if the right ingredients are not used during cooking.
The Secret Ingredient for Crunchy Roast Potatoes
Potatoes naturally hold a great deal of water, which converts to steam when they cook in the oven. If this moisture remains on the skin, the oil cannot crisp them up properly. However, Lindsay, a cook and creator of The Tasteful Pantry, has revealed a remarkably easy way to guarantee potatoes that are crunchy every time without fail — all you need to do is season them with semolina.
Lindsay explained: "Semolina adds a gentle grainy texture that crisps up beautifully in the oven, giving the kind of crunch that ordinary roast potatoes rarely achieve. It's the perfect trick if you've ever struggled to get that ideal roast - crispy exterior, tender interior, and just enough spice to keep things interesting."
Semolina is a flour typically used in making pasta, bread, or pizza dough, but it is equally effective when roasting fish and potatoes, as it is renowned for producing a perfectly crispy skin. Its notably coarse consistency means it performs brilliantly on potatoes, while its highly absorbent nature draws out a significant amount of moisture from the skin. Keeping the potatoes as dry as possible during oven cooking is essential, preventing them from steaming and ensuring they roast more effectively in the oil. Semolina works to stop the potatoes turning soggy while also beginning to toast in the oven, giving a beautifully caramelised skin with plenty of deliciously crunchy edges.
How to Make Crispier Roast Potatoes
You will need:
- 1kg of potatoes
- 120ml of oil
- Two tablespoons of semolina
- One teaspoon of salt
- Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
- Half a teaspoon of onion powder
- Half a teaspoon of oregano
- Half a teaspoon of paprika
- A quarter teaspoon of pepper
When it comes to oil, you can opt for whichever variety you prefer, though those with a high smoke point tend to work best, such as sunflower, vegetable, or rapeseed oil. Alternatively, it is perfectly acceptable to use other fats such as duck fat, goose fat, or beef drippings.
Method
Start by preheating your oven to 210°C, and make sure you have a deep roasting dish large enough to accommodate all the potatoes in a single layer. Pour your chosen oil into the dish and place it in the oven for 10 minutes. Getting the oil piping hot before the potatoes go in is crucial for forming a crust and achieving that wonderfully crispy skin.
Meanwhile, peel and halve the potatoes. Place them into a large pot of water and bring to the boil, cooking for approximately 10 minutes until fork-tender but still firm in the centre.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then return them to the empty pot. Keep them off the heat and use a fork or tongs to gently toss the potatoes around. This roughs up the surface slightly, creating more edges once they hit the oven and helping to deliver that gloriously crunchy exterior. Next, combine the semolina, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Tip the semolina mixture over the potatoes, then give the pot a good shake to make sure they are evenly coated.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, then carefully add the potatoes. Using a pair of tongs, turn the potatoes so every side is thoroughly coated in oil, then shake any leftover seasoning from the pot into the dish. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes, then once the time is up, flip them over and cook for a further 10 minutes. When you pull the potatoes out of the oven, they should be sizzling, deep golden brown, and with a really satisfying crispy skin.
