has revealed , which should have that sweet and fluffy interior and all-important crunch on the outside. Sharing the recipe from her Nigella Christmas book, the chef said: "Needs must and all that, so I have always been an open anti-perfectionist, but in truth (and I'm sorry to repeat what I've said before) it is impossible to cook roast potatoes without needing them to be perfect, which to me means sweet and soft inside and a golden-brown carapace of crunch." This method makes 10 to 16 side servings and can be made ahead.
To prepare ahead, simply peel the potatoes the day before and store them whole in a bowl of cold water in a cool spot. When you're ready to , drain the potatoes, cut them as instructed, and place them in a fresh pan of salted water to parboil. From there, continue with the roasting steps as outlined in the main method.
Nigella Lawson's roast potato recipeIngredients
- 640g of goose fat
- Two and a half kilograms of potatoes (such as King Edward's or Yukon Gold)
- Two tablespoons of semolina
Method
Set the oven to 250C (230C for fan ovens), gas mark nine. If you're working with a single oven, this step will need to wait until the turkey has finished roasting, much later than the point where you begin boiling the potatoes.
Place the cooking fat into a generously sized roasting tin and slide it into the oven so it can heat thoroughly. You're aiming for it to become extremely hot - allow around twenty to thirty minutes for this.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and slice each one into three sections by trimming off both ends at an angle, leaving a triangular or wedge-shaped centre piece.
Place the chopped potatoes in a saucepan filled with salted cold water, then bring it to a boil. Let them simmer for four minutes before draining them in a colander.
Return the drained potatoes to the dry, empty pan and scatter over the semolina. Shake the pan to ensure all the pieces are evenly coated, then secure the lid and give the whole pan a vigorous shake. The goal is to roughen the edges of the potatoes, which will help them crisp up beautifully during roasting. At this stage, you can pause the preparation and let the potatoes sit. If not, make sure the oven has already been heated up.
Once the fat is searingly hot, very carefully add the semolina-dusted potatoes to the roasting tin. Expect a dramatic sizzle as they hit the fat. Roast them in the oven for roughly an hour, flipping them over halfway through to ensure even browning.
Depending on how hot your oven runs, each side may only need about twenty-five minutes. If necessary, you can leave the potatoes in the oven a bit longer - just drain off most of the fat towards the end to stop them from becoming greasy.
Finally, when the rest of the meal is ready, move the golden, crunchy potatoes into a large serving dish (warmed, if possible), and present them at the table next to your mains.
