Roasting is among the best methods for turning the humble spud into something crispy and mouthwatering. People love crispy as they offer a delightful textural contrast to other foods.
As to the best way to make the crispiest of crispy roast potatoes, the answer may have been found on Reddit as one user dished out their top tip for potatoes using one . The simple, yet effective baking soda method came after one user posed the burning question of "Tips on making the ultimate crispy roast potatoes?"
The Reddit user posted: "I usually boil my potatoes for ten minutes, drain them off and put them in the oven with a sprinkle of vegetable oil.
"They normally turn out really crispy but the taste just isn't there - that's why I'm asking you guys for tips."
Another social media user came to the rescue and offered their unusual baking soda hack and explained: "Parboil the potatoes in salted water with just a little bit of baking soda for a few minutes.
"This makes the outermost layer of the potato much softer and that's the goal rather than getting a head start on the cooking.
"Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, dry pan to evaporate off the excess water.
"Add butter (or other fat but animal fats are best), your seasonings, and coarse salt."
The user continued their recipe for perfectly delectable roast potatoes by explaining how you then shake it all up, further adding to shake "the heck out of it".
"The goal is to break up the even surface of that smooth but now softened layer of potato so all those bits of extra surface area can brown in the oven when you roast them at 400."
When asked how long to parboil for, the user replied that they "usually go about 5 or 6 minutes.of simmering, starting from cold.
"It works but I haven't experimented much to find out if that's ideal".
Another user reiterated the baking soda tip for perfect roast potatoes and commented: "This is the right answer. The secret to perfect roast potatoes is roughing them up after evaporating off all the water.
"It makes all the difference."
