A chef has shared his secret for the perfect roast potatoes, and it all comes down to one simple ingredient added to the boiling water to make them crispy outside and fluffy inside.
Roast potatoes can make or break a Sunday dinner, and getting them right is not always easy. The goal is golden, crunchy potatoes that are not overdone, while remaining light and fluffy on the inside. According to one chef on social media, there is a straightforward ingredient to add to the water before the potatoes go in the oven.
The Chef's Secret
Chef Fatty, who has more than 517,000 followers on TikTok, has revealed his method for achieving the crispiest, fluffiest roast potatoes. In his video, which has gained thousands of likes and comments, he cheekily suggested that people are not making roast potatoes correctly.
His approach is similar to typical preparation methods, but he adds a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Because baking soda is alkaline, it helps break down the surface of the potato, producing a crunchy outer layer without compromising the fluffiness inside.
How to Make the Perfect Roast Potatoes
To achieve the ideal roasties, grab some potatoes—preferably Maris Piper—peel them, and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Boil them for around 8-10 minutes, adding the baking soda to the water while they cook. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and add two tablespoons of ghee or clarified butter, along with a teaspoon of garlic salt, giving everything a thorough shake. This process roughens up the edges, resulting in a crispier texture.
You can then air fry them on a rack at 220°C for 40 minutes, or cook them in the oven for the same length of time. Be sure to turn them halfway through and lower the temperature slightly if they risk burning.
Reception
Removing the golden spuds from the air fryer, the chef declared: "Now that's a proper roast potato." While some commenters noted that they are technically not roast potatoes, given that they are cooked in the air fryer, others praised how appetising they looked. One person wrote: "Looks perfect to me. Thank you." Another commented: "That's exactly how I do mine .. I do cut them a-bit bigger though."
