TV chef James Martin has revealed his expert advice for achieving perfectly crispy roast potatoes. Speaking on This Morning, the 53-year-old detailed the essential steps needed to prevent the dreaded soggy outcome.
Choosing the Right Potatoes
The renowned cook informed hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard that selecting the right variety of potato is crucial, encouraging home cooks to opt for British-grown produce. He stressed that avoiding cooking everything simultaneously is absolutely vital to success.
He said: "Potatoes have changed season to season. The potatoes that you usually get, the Maris Pipers or King Edwards, are changed across the weather so much. So when you're going out, first of all, look for Maris Pipers or King Edwards, my mother uses King Edwards, but Maris Pipers you can use as well. The most important thing is, is buying from this country, because a lot of the potatoes could come from Egypt as well. They're better from this country."
Preparation Method
"Peel them, and then basically put them in a pan, start it in cold water, bring them to a boil, cook it for about 1 minute 1 minute and a half, drain them off, shake them, and then put them in a pan with dripping or lard or duck fat now nowadays, and then a very hot oven."
Key to Crispiness: Remove the Meat
A listener had enquired why her potatoes turned out soggy, to which Mr Martin responded that the secret involves removing the meat beforehand, guaranteeing it would also enhance the flavour.
He recommended: "The key to this though is take the meat out. Don't have everything all in the oven. The meat needs to come out the oven for at least 1 hour and a half, 1 hour and a half before you serve it. And that way it gives the temperature of the oven to heat up, and that way you'll get the potatoes."
He continued to explain the reason behind the caller's potato issue: "It's because the oven temperature's not hot enough. You've put in loads of stuff in a small box, right, and then you need the air to circulate, so take the meat out, cover it with tin foil, don't be trying to serve it at room temperature."
"It's the best way when you go to a restaurant, the meat is cooked at 11 o'clock in the morning and you're still carving it at 3 in the afternoon. We are not taking it straight out of the oven and carving it. It's very, very important to meat less to rest. And then the heat of the oven heats up and away you go."
Audience Reactions
This Morning audiences welcomed James' advice. Jane remarked: "Love his cooking always makes sense." Rachel contributed: "Your roast potatoes are the best James."
Sinead suggested this tip: "Put a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda into your water to par boil the spuds, it leaves a great crisp on the roastie!"
Despoka added: "The best potatoes are the Cyprus potatoes. A bit expensive but it's worth the money! xx"
Jersey said: "I sprinkle with flour before I given them a shake."
John said: "You parboil roast potatoes for at least 15 mins. Fluff them up and let them steam dry for a few minutes. Use olive oil or rapeseed oil. Can't believe how people can't cook roast potatoes properly and get them crispy and brown. Clueless. Maris Piper potatoes are best. Heat oil if possible in oven beforehand."
