The Crispiest Roast Potatoes

Crunchy outside, fluffy inside, and half the work done the night before.
Everyone has a roast potato method, and this is the farm's. The trick is doing the boiling and roughing up on Christmas Eve, so on the day they just go into a tin of very hot oil.
Serves 6 · Prep 15 mins · Cook 1 hour 5 mins · Christmas Eve, On the Day
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Maris Piper potatoes
- 4 tbsp Ross & Ross Roast Potato Oil, or Cotswold Gold Rapeseed Oil
- sea salt
Method
- Peel, cut into even chunks and boil in very salty water for 10 minutes.
- Drain, shake hard in the colander to rough up the edges, then leave to steam dry for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a roasting tin at 220°C fan for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes carefully, turn to coat and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, turning halfway.
Charlie's cheat
Parboil and rough them up on Christmas Eve, then chill uncovered overnight. Dry potatoes go even crispier.
Make it special
Add a few bashed garlic cloves and sprigs of fresh rosemary to the tin for the last 10 minutes.
Why it works
Roughing up the parboiled potatoes creates lots of fluffy edges that crisp in hot oil, and chilling them uncovered overnight dries the surface, which is what makes them extra crunchy.
Your questions answered
What are the best potatoes for roasting?
Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward. They go fluffy inside and rough up well on the outside.
Can I prepare roast potatoes the day before?
Yes. Parboil and rough them up on Christmas Eve, then chill them uncovered in the fridge overnight. They roast even crispier.
Which oil is best for roast potatoes?
An oil with a high smoke point that can get really hot. Rapeseed oil works brilliantly, and our Roast Potato Oil is made for exactly this job.
Made with Roast Potato Oil and Rapeseed Oil.
More from Charlie's Christmas Kitchen
- Truffle and Parmesan Roasties
- Turkey Rub Butter
- Rare Roast Beef with Béarnaise
- Ross & Ross ultimate roast potato guide
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