A chef has shared her overnight trick for roast potatoes that will make them the best. Poppy O’Toole, Michelin-trained chef and cookbook author, has revealed her secrets to the perfect roastie after 18 months of testing.
Her big trick is to allow the potatoes to dry overnight after boiling, as “the best crunch is the result of the driest potato hitting the hot fat”. She added that this isn’t always realistic, so using a tea towel over a colander for 15 minutes works to dry out the outside of the potatoes, before giving them a shake to rough up the edges. The chef recommended cutting the potatoes into uniform large chunks, so that the sides are bigger and have more direct contact with the pan to get crunchy on the outside while staying soft in the middle.
Poppy discussed a trend of adding bicarbonate of soda to the water while boiling potatoes. She says this helps break down the surface of your potatoes, creating a “starchier, softer exterior” to your spuds that “increases surface area for crunch”.
She personally doesn’t add bicarb, instead “keeping things simple” with a thorough boil. Usually, this only needs to be 15 minutes, until a potato falls off a knife.
The chef said that people often “herb up” their potatoes too soon. Garlic and rosemary will burn quickly in the oven, so they should be added close to the end of cooking.
She added that the perfect roast potato “doesn’t need the trimmings”, saying it needs “a potato, some fat, and seasoning. That’s all” Her preferred potato to use is Maris Piper.
Poppy recommends only turning your potatoes once during cooking to avoid opening the oven too much. Cook for 20 minutes and turn before putting them back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes.
The chef also said not to crowd the potatoes in with the meat you’re cooking. Be sure to give them their own pan in the oven and cook them while the meat is resting.