Roast Potatoes
In our house, roast potatoes are not optional. They are non-negotiable.
My kids would happily eat them with every meal, and my eldest usually does. We have roast potatoes with everything!
These are the roast potatoes I grew up eating too, crispy, golden and so comforting. The memory of my Dad making these alongside his cauliflower cheese on a Sunday is one of those food memories that never leaves you. I don't know exactly how he made them but I like to think mine come close.
The secrets to a good roast potato are simple: Maris Pipers, beef dripping, a good fluff up in the colander, and a smoking hot tray. Follow those rules and you'll get perfect roast potatoes every single time. And yes, we always make too many. That's not a problem, that's planning ahead.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Properly crispy every time
The combination of Maris Piper potatoes, beef dripping and the steam-dry-and-fluff technique gives you a genuinely crispy crust and fluffy interior every single time. No soggy roasties here.
- Beef dripping is the secret
It might sound old fashioned but beef dripping is what separates good roast potatoes from great ones. It gets smoking hot, flavours the potatoes as they cook and creates a crust that oil simply can't match.
- The fluff step makes all the difference
Leaving the potatoes to steam dry in the colander then giving them a good shake to rough up the edges is the technique that creates maximum surface area for crisping. Don't skip it — it's the difference between crispy and extraordinary.
- Two ways to make them
Classic Sunday roast version in the oven, or a quick air fryer version for midweek meals. Both use the same technique, both deliver brilliant results. The air fryer version is on the table in under 20 minutes.
- The kids absolutely love them
In our house potatoes beat pasta and rice every single time. These are requested constantly and we never have leftovers, which says everything really.
- Perfect for making ahead
Par-boil and steam dry earlier in the day, then just tip into the hot dripping when you're ready. Takes the stress out of Sunday lunch timing completely.
4 Servings 60 Minutes
Ingredients
- Beef Dripping - 4 tbsp
- Black Pepper - 1 tsp
- Garlic Granules - 0 tsp
- Onion Powder - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Maris Piper Potatoes - 1 kg
Method
- Heat the dripping: Preheat your oven to 220°C. Add 4 tablespoons beef dripping to a large roasting tray and place in the oven while it preheats. You want the dripping to be smoking hot by the time the potatoes are ready.
- Par-boil the potatoes: Peel and cut 1kg Maris Piper potatoes into even-sized chunks (allow 200-250g per person). Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil using the kettle. Add the potatoes and par-boil for 5 minutes until about half cooked. Drain well.
- Steam dry and fluff: Leave the potatoes in the colander for 5 minutes to steam dry. Then give the colander a good shake to fluff up the edges, this roughing up of the surface is what creates the extra crispy crust in the oven.
- Season and into the oven: Carefully remove the smoking hot roasting tray from the oven. Tip the potatoes into the hot dripping, they should sizzle immediately. Add the seasonings and turn to coat in the dripping then spread out in a single layer. Don't overcrowd the tray.
- Roast until golden: Roast for 45 minutes turning once halfway through to ensure all sides are golden and crispy. They are ready when deeply golden all over with a proper crunch. Serve immediately.
Hints and Tips
- Choose the right potatoes
The high starch content of Maris Piper's gives you that fluffy interior and crispy exterior that makes a perfect roast potato. King Edward works well too but Maris Piper is our go-to every time. Avoid waxy varieties like Charlotte, they won't give you the right texture.
- Choose your fats
Beef dripping is our fat of choice as gets hotter than vegetable oil, flavours the potatoes as they cook and gives you a far superior crust. This recipe also works equally well with olive oil. For a special occasion, my go-to choice would be goose fat or duck fat - it's available in most supermarkets all year round, but especially at Christmas time.
- Use boiling water from the kettle
Starting with boiling water rather than cold means the potatoes come to temperature faster and more evenly. A small tip that makes a difference.
- The steam dry step is non-negotiable
After draining, leave the potatoes in the colander for a full 5 minutes. The surface moisture needs to evaporate before they go in the hot fat, wet potatoes steam rather than crisp. Then shake the colander to rough up the edges. More surface area means more crunch.
- Get the dripping smoking hot
The tray needs to be in the oven preheating at the same time as the potatoes are par-boiling. When you add the potatoes they should sizzle immediately, that instant contact with the hot fat is what starts the crust forming straight away.
- Don't overcrowd the tray
Give each potato plenty of space. If they're too close together they'll steam rather than roast and you'll lose the crispiness. Use two trays if needed, it's worth the extra washing up.
- The air fryer version
Cut into smaller cubes, par-boil for 3 minutes, steam dry and season. Air fry at 200°C for 12 minutes shaking halfway. Brilliant for midweek when you want the same great results in half the time.
Serve this with
These are the perfect partner to our https://cookitclever.com/meal-overview/chicken-roast-dinner Easy Roast Chicken Dinner alongside our https://cookitclever.com/meal-overview/cauliflower-broccoli-cheese Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese and https://cookitclever.com/meal-overview/Yorkshire-Puddings Yorkshire Puddings for a complete Sunday roast.