Description
Experience the ultimate crispy and golden roast potatoes with this easy-to-follow recipe. Using semolina to create a rough surface on boiled potatoes, and roasting them in hot safflower oil in the oven, results in extraordinarily crunchy edges and a fluffy interior. Perfect as a side dish for any meal, these roast potatoes are irresistibly crunchy and perfect for serving immediately or reheating.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup / 165 ml safflower oil
- 3 lb / 1.5 kg potatoes
- 2 tbsp semolina (best substitute is polenta)
- 2 tsp salt (increase to 3 tsp if you prefer a saltier taste)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Heat Oil: Pour the oil into a metal or cast iron baking dish and place it in the oven. Preheat your oven to the highest temperature possible, ideally 250°C (480°F) fan forced.
- Prepare Potatoes: Boil a large pot of water. Peel and cut the potatoes into large pieces about 6cm (2.2 inches) wide.
- Parboil Potatoes: Boil the cut potatoes for 10 minutes until slightly tender. Drain them well and return to the pot.
- Roughen Potato Edges: Sprinkle semolina and salt over the drained potatoes. Clamp the lid on the pot and shake vigorously 5 times to roughen the potato surfaces, which helps create a crisp crust. Leave the lid on and set aside.
- Test Oil Temperature: By now the oil in the oven should be hot enough. Drop a small pinch of potato into the oil; if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Add Potatoes to Oil: Carefully pour the potatoes into the hot oil in the baking dish. Using an egg flip or spatula, toss the potatoes quickly and spread them evenly in the dish.
- Roast Potatoes: Reduce the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F). Roast the potatoes for about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning them once during cooking. Roast until the potatoes are golden brown with browned edges and are crunchy.
- Serve: Serve the potatoes immediately for best crunch. They stay crispy for about 30 minutes but can be reheated to crisp up again by heating at 220°C (425°F) for around 15 minutes from room temperature (add 5 more minutes if reheating from the fridge).
Notes
- Use a metal or cast iron baking dish for optimal heat conduction in the oven.
- Safflower oil is chosen for its high smoke point, making it ideal for roasting at high temperatures.
- The semolina or polenta creates a rough surface on the potatoes that crisps up nicely during roasting.
- Adjust salt to taste; the recipe suggests increasing salt to 3 tsp for a more pronounced salty flavor.
- Cooking times can vary based on oven performance; check potatoes for golden color and crunchiness before removing.
- Reheating potatoes works well and restores much of the original crunch.
