Chef's hack for crispy glass-like roast potatoes will make your Xmas dinner sing

20 December 2023 , 12:01

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Chef Kush Bhasin's ultimate roast potatoes have a 'glass-like' texture (Image: Sorted Food)

When it comes to your Christmas dinner, everyone will have their favourite element, but it's safe to say roast potatoes are up there as one of the highlights.

They are sometimes hard to perfect, but chef Kush Bhasin claims his his recipe will make your roasties have the "perfect crunch with a fluffy middle" and will impress all your diners this Christmas.

Many will hail hot oil for crispy potatoes, but Michelin star chef Kush claimed the secret ingredient is something else, and his fool-proof method will ensure you rustle up some award-winning roast potatoes.

The chef at Sorted Food claimed that preparations should start "up to five days ahead of the big meal", which for most, is December 20, and added: "Boiling them the day before or up to five days before, means they completely dry out and will absorb the fat better."

The chef shared the easy recipe for perfect crispy roasties (youtube/@Sorted Food)

He also urged shoppers to buy King Edward potatoes rather than the popular Maris Piper potatoes, as they have the "highest dry-matter content and lowest sugar levels" which will help your potatoes to have a "dry, crispy outside." He then suggested cooking them soon after being bought.

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So, for his easy recipe, he explained you should peel the potatoes and halve them rather than cutting them into quarters as "they're better large", and put them into a pan of boiling water that "should be as salty as the sea". He then advised to reduce the heat to a simmer, and once they start to "fall apart and peel" they're ready to go into the oven. Usually, this will take around 20-30 minutes in the water.

When drained, he instructed foodies to place them on a drying rack to fully dry out, and added that "Refrigerating them overnight is a bonus". If they're being served in a few day's time, he advised to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.

When ready to cook, Kush pre-heats a roasting tin with goose fat in an oven at 220C, and ensures the fat is as hot as the oven, but he's urged people to be careful when putting the potatoes in the tray, and to use tongs. He also shared that every potato must "sizzle" as it hits the fat, so advised not to stack them up and place them as one "flat layer".

They should be completely covered in goose fat, and then cooked at 220C for 20 minutes, and then reduced to 180C, turned over for an even colour, and cooked for a further 20 minutes. Kush added: "When they are finished, they should be held together like glass and crack with a loud crunch when you take a bite, yet still have a deliciously moist centre. Potato perfection!"

Niamh Kirk