How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes (English Style Roasted Potatoes)
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How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes (English Style Roasted Potatoes). Forget mashed, roast those potatoes! Learn how to create a crispy outside with a steaming fluffy inside every time. Great with roast chicken, beef or pork and wonderful served with roasted garlic and sour cream. Soooo delicious.
Originally published February 2010.
The time has come for a potato revolution.
To be clear at the outset, I am not here to disparage the simple but somewhat utilitarian boiled potato. The boiled potato stands on its own merits and has served many a Jigg’s Dinner admirably over the centuries.
Even if familiarity has not bred contempt for this most common of boiled vegetables, one could never be blamed for proclaiming it…well, not to be unkind but…boring.
Having taken so much of our culinary heritage in this province from the United Kingdom, I have always thought it curiously surprising that we never adopted the iconic British roast potato into our own traditional fare.
If a juicy beef joint or succulent chicken is king of the time-honoured British “Sunday Roast”, then the roast potato is certainly a crown prince.
Roasted in oil, butter, or even in goose or other animal fat, no proper British Sunday dinner would be complete without them and once you’ve sampled a well prepared roast potato, I’ve no doubt you’ll discover why.
These Roasted Potatoes are so easy to prepare.
The straight-forward method of making these is also the secret to their success. The potatoes are parboiled before roasting, which loosens up the starches at the surface.
A “dry” potato like a plain, dependable, old russet variety is best for roast potatoes because their surface starches break down more easily. The fat then combines with those surface starches to create a crispy exterior which surrounds a piping hot, almost creamy, center.
With their crispy jackets and steaming fluffy inside, my family finds these spuds irresistible. My ten year old son, in particular, loves them; often having second and third helpings.
You may also want to try these Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes. So crispy & delicious!
We like to roast garlic along with the potatoes. We love to squeeze the sweet, sticky, roasted cloves onto our plates to be eaten along with the potatoes and a generous dollop of sour cream; truly one of the simplest and best things I have ever eaten.
Give this almost effortless recipe a try and you’ll see why I say so. Viva la revolution!
For other suggestions to go with any roast dinner, you may also want to check out our Thanksgiving Side Dishes.
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How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes (English Style Roast Potatoes)
How to Make Perfect Roasted Potatoes (English Style Roast Potatoes) - forget mashed!...roast those potatoes! Learn how to create a crispy outside with a steaming fluffy inside every time. Great with roast chicken, beef or pork and wonderful served with roasted garlic and sour cream. Soooo delicious.
Ingredients
- 6 medium to large sized russet potatoes, peeled
- ¼ cup olive oil, butter or other oil will work as well; a butter/olive oil combination is very good too
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 whole garlic bulb broken into about 4 pieces, optional
Instructions
- Parboil the potatoes in salted water for about 5 minutes. Some people prefer to boil them longer; up to 8 minutes or so. This will produce a thicker and crispier jacket to the potato if you prefer.
- Meanwhile in a 375 degree F oven, heat a baking pan of sufficient size to hold your potatoes without crowding them. A glass or metal pan is fine, as long as it is well heated beforehand. This will help to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan.
- After parboiling, drain the potatoes and let them stand for 5 minutes. Then toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic cloves.
- Transfer the seasoned potatoes, garlic and oil to the hot baking pan. These should sizzle as they hit the pan; a good indication that they will not stick.
- Roast the potatoes for about 1¼ to 1½ hours or until they are nicely golden brown all over, turning them every 20 minutes or so.
- After the first 10 minutes, give the pan a shake to make sure the potatoes are not stuck to it.
- The roasted garlic will have to be removed before the potatoes are finished as it generally cooks faster. 45 minutes or less should be enough to fully cook the roasted garlic.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
6 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 248Saturated Fat 1gSodium 204mgCarbohydrates 38gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 4g
I made these for supper tonight. I halved the recipe because they were only for me and they were absolutely awesome. I will now share with all my sisters and friends. Definitely a keeper.
I am probably on the wrong site to find heart-healthy recipes for my husband!!! But these looked awesome. Could I use just straight olive oil rather than olive oil butter for these and get the same results?
Yes, I often do.
Can you leave the skins on and just scrub them first? I didn't see the answer to this.
No. The crispy exterior requires them to be peeled and par boiled.
I made these this evening, and they were fantastic. They did not look the picture, but did not expect them too. LOL. The only change I did, is I added a tablespoon of baking soda to the water as alkaline water helps break down the surface of the potato for an amazing crust. Thank you for this recipe, my boys LOVED it.
DELISH. i used half butter and half oil. They were very crispy on the outside, and very tasty. Would work will for a company dinner, with out that awkward potato skin in the way. I would roast more garlic - every potato deserves a garlic clove.
I just wanted to say that these are hands down the best potato I have ever made! I melted some duck fat and tossed them in it. Then into the oven. My husband has even requested them along with our prime rib for Xmas dinner!
There's no going back now! We have them with practically every roast dinner now.
I made them with russets and followed the recipe exactly. Best roast potatoes I’ve ever had!
Do you peel the garlic?
no
I ‘m always looking for new ways to fix potatoes and I think I would like this one but from the picture the potatoes look like they have bread crumbs on them. What makes the potatoes to give that look.
No crumbs. The starches on the surface loosen and become crispy when baked.
Omg thank you soooooo much for this recipe and all your recipes 🙂 !!! My mother in law came to visit us in California from Ohio to see our 2 year old son , ( she comes once to twice a year ) still its definitely a special occasion exspelley that second night after she is rested and we always do a nice dinner , she wanted grilled steaks and I was going to do the original baked potato with it when I remembered seeing your English roasted potatoes while browsing through some recipes and omg were they a hit !! Absolutely delicious, and the garlic like transformed:) !! You are right , I dont know if I'll ever make a boring baked potato again lol
Yes! I was amazed at how easy it is to prepare a potato this interesting and delicious. Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. I served them for New Year’s Eve with a beef tenderloin roast, green beans almondine and a simple salad. Marvelous potatoes!
My mother in Oz insisted on putting lots of salt in the boiling water. But then, she was a real salt fan, dabbing her forkful into a pile of salt. Dad would always put salt on all his food before tasting. Us 4 kids were put off salt for life!