Mary Berry's Secret for Crunchy Roast Potatoes: A 12p Semolina Coating
Renowned chef Mary Berry has shared countless recipes throughout her illustrious career, with her potato dishes standing out as particular favourites. Among these, her twice-roasted potatoes have garnered widespread acclaim for their exceptionally crispy finish, achieved through a simple yet ingenious ingredient.
The Semolina Secret for Ultimate Crispiness
The recipe instructions reveal: "A roast potato should be ultra crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crunchy exterior, and the semolina adds an extra crunchy coating." This method serves six people and can be prepared up to twelve hours in advance, offering convenient flexibility for meal planning.
The potatoes undergo an initial roasting for thirty-five minutes until golden, followed by a second roast in a hot oven for approximately twenty minutes just before serving, according to reports from the Express.
Mary Berry's Complete Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1.5kg old potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized cubes
- 40g semolina
- Four tablespoons of goose fat or vegetable oil
- Three thyme sprigs
- Salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan. Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water.
- Bring to the boil and cook for about five minutes until they begin to soften around the edges.
- Drain thoroughly in a colander until completely dry, then return them to the saucepan and shake vigorously to roughen the edges.
- Sprinkle over the semolina and shake once more until evenly coated.
How Semolina Creates the Perfect Crunch
Semolina, a coarse wheat flour, creates a rough texture when dusted onto parboiled potatoes before roasting. These tiny ridges on the potatoes effectively capture heat during cooking, resulting in a beautifully golden, crunchy exterior that elevates the dish.
Additionally, semolina serves a practical purpose by soaking up surplus moisture, ensuring you'll never be left with waterlogged potatoes. This versatile ingredient is readily available at any supermarket, with a 500g pack from Sainsbury's costing £1.45. Since this recipe requires only 40g of semolina, the cost per serving works out to a mere 12p, making it an economical kitchen hack.
Finishing the Perfect Roast Potatoes
Preheat a large shallow roasting tin in the oven until hot. Add the fat to the tin and heat for five minutes until smoking. Carefully add the potatoes, turn them in the fat until thoroughly coated, and scatter over the thyme sprigs.
Return to the oven and roast for forty-five to fifty-five minutes, until golden brown and crisp, turning the potatoes halfway through the cooking process. Serve your crunchy semolina-coated roast potatoes immediately for the best texture and flavour.
