A professional chef has suggested that home cooks should stop using olive oil for roasting potatoes and instead use avocado oil for superior results. Lauryn Bodden, a food writer and owner of the snack brand S'NOODS, shared her preferred oil with Simply Recipes.
Why Avocado Oil Works Better
Bodden explained that avocado oil helps potatoes become "crispy, almost crunchy with a creamy interior." She added: "It’s also neutral, so it lets the potato taste like a potato rather than the fat you cooked it in."
Olive oil, commonly used for roasting, can compromise flavor. When potatoes are roasted in olive oil at high temperatures, the taste can turn "acrid" and "bitter." Olive oil has a low smoke point, meaning it cannot get hot enough to crisp potatoes properly without burning. This can lead to a smoky kitchen and charred, bitter spuds.
Avocado oil, with a smoke point of up to 260°C, allows roasting at higher temperatures for perfect crispiness without the bitter aftertaste.
How to Roast Potatoes with Avocado Oil
The chef recommended using three to four tablespoons of avocado oil per two pounds (approximately 900 grams) of potatoes. Generously coat all potatoes evenly to ensure they crisp up nicely.
For the best results, parboil the potatoes until tender, then chuff them in a colander to create craggy edges that crisp when roasted.
