Crispy Roast Potatoes

Method

1. 1
   • potato1¼ kg
   • vegetable oil1¼ dl

   Heat the oil in the oven — Heat the oven to 220°C. Pour the oil into a large shallow roasting tin, spread it over the base and slide the tin into the oven to heat while you deal with the potatoes. The oil needs to be shimmering hot before the potatoes go anywhere near it.

2. 2
   • potato1¼ kg
   • water2 l
   • baking soda½ tsp
   • saltto taste

   Parboil in alkaline water — Bring the water to the boil with the salt and the baking soda — the alkaline water breaks down the potato surface and is what makes the crust. Add the potato chunks and boil for 10 minutes, until a knife slides into the outer centimetre but the centres are still firm.

   ⏱10 min
3. 3

   Dry and rough them up — Drain into a colander and leave for 3 minutes so the steam escapes and the surfaces dry. Return them to the empty dry pan, put the lid on and shake hard two or three times until every piece is furred with a rough, floury coating.

   ⏱3 min
4. 4
   • potato1¼ kg
   • vegetable oil1¼ dl

   Tip into the hot oil — Tip the potatoes carefully into the hot oil — it should hiss immediately — and turn each piece so it is coated on all sides. Spread them into a single layer with space between them and roast for 30 minutes without touching them.

   ⏱30 min
5. 5
   • potato1¼ kg
   • garlic6
   • fresh rosemary2 tsp

   Turn and add the garlic — Turn the potatoes with a fish slice, scraping up any that have stuck, and tuck the crushed garlic cloves and rosemary in between them. Roast for a further 25 minutes, until deep gold and audibly crisp when tapped.

   ⏱25 min
6. 6
   • potato1¼ kg
   • vegetable oil1¼ dl
   • black pepper1 tsp
   • saltto taste

   Drain, season and serve hot — Lift the potatoes onto a rack or a sheet of kitchen paper to shed the surface oil, season with the black pepper and a little more salt, and serve at once — they lose their crunch within about ten minutes of leaving the oven.