Roast potatoes achieve the perfect crunch and fluffy texture when cooks add a tablespoon of flour before oven cooking, according to a recipe from award-winning Fairfields Farm, which grows its own potatoes on its family-run farm in Essex.
One crucial step for fluffy potatoes
The recipe, which can be adjusted to suit the number of diners and requires just seven steps, highlights one essential stage: after draining the boiled potatoes, cooks should dust them with flour and shake them vigorously. This step makes the edges appear fluffy, ensuring they soak up the oil effectively.
The potatoes should be roasted in a tin with a 2mm layer of oil, with olive or vegetable oil recommended to keep the dish vegetarian, though goose or duck fat can be used as an alternative.
How to make roast potatoes
To prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 200°C and heat a roasting tin inside. Peel and cut the potatoes, placing them in a cold pan of salted water and bringing to the boil, then simmering for one minute.
After draining, dust with flour and shake well, then transfer to the hot oil with dried rosemary. Roast for 15 minutes, turn, and roast for another 15 minutes. Turn once more, add fresh rosemary, and roast for a final 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt before serving alongside the rest of the dinner.
