As the nation prepares for the culinary centrepiece of Christmas Day, celebrity chef Rick Stein has shared a crucial piece of advice that promises to simplify the quest for the perfect roast potato. The celebrated cook, appearing on BBC Radio 2, urged home chefs to abandon a common practice in favour of a more efficient method that guarantees a crispy result every time.
The Cold Fat Method: A Game-Changer for Christmas Cooks
While the traditional wisdom dictates that roast potatoes must be placed into piping hot oil or fat, Rick Stein insists this step is unnecessary. His key advice is to parboil the potatoes in salted water the day before serving. This preparation step saves valuable time on the busy Christmas morning. When ready to roast, he recommends using goose fat or duck fat for optimal flavour, but crucially, you can add the potatoes to the cold fat before placing the tray directly into a hot oven.
"I don't freeze them, but I parboil them the day before," Stein explained during his radio appearance. "Please use goose fat or duck fat, but you can put the whole lot in cold and then into a hot oven." This method contradicts the widely held belief that sizzling-hot fat is essential for achieving that coveted, golden crunch.
Supermarket Showdown and the 'King' of Fats
The debate over the best fat for roasties was further fuelled by insights from chef Mike Reid. On Channel 5's The Christmas Taste Test Restaurant, food critics crowned Aldi's roast potatoes as "perfect", ranking them above versions from Lidl and Morrisons. Mike Reid attributed this victory to the specific animal fats used.
He revealed that while Morrisons uses goose fat and Lidl opts for duck fat, Aldi's winning potatoes are cooked in Wagyu fat, which he hailed as "the king of all fats". Reid emphasised that cooking potatoes in animal fat delivers a rich, buttery taste and is key to achieving a crispy exterior. His own secret for ultimate crunch? Coating the parboiled potatoes in cheap, readily available potato starch before roasting, which absorbs the fats and creates a super-crispy shell.
The Nation's Festive Plate: Traditions and Divisions
The discussion on BBC Radio 2 also touched upon a perennial festive debate: the place of Yorkshire puddings on the Christmas dinner table. Rick Stein took a pragmatic view, stating, "It depends, last Christmas we had beef as well as goose, so of course we had Yorkshire puddings." This reflects the divided opinions across the UK, a split confirmed by a recent YouGov poll.
The poll solidifies the nation's festive favourites. Turkey remains Britain's top choice for the centrepiece meat, followed by chicken and beef. In the side dish stakes, roast potatoes claimed the number one spot, with gravy in second place and carrots in third. The survey also found that 35% of Brits include mashed potatoes, while around four in ten serve cranberry sauce or broccoli.
For dessert, Christmas pudding maintains its crown as the nation's favourite festive sweet, with mince pies and a cheeseboard completing the top three. As families finalise their menus, Rick Stein's simple, time-saving potato trick offers a welcome piece of culinary clarity for a stress-free Christmas Day in the kitchen.
