Mary Berry has shared a plethora of recipes throughout her career, including many potato dishes. Her twice-roasted potatoes are among her most popular recipes, as they use a simple ingredient to create an extra-crispy coating.
The recipe notes said: "A roast potato should be ultra crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crunchy exterior, and the semolina adds an extra crunchy coating." This recipe serves six people, but you can prepare it up to 12 hours ahead of serving. The potatoes can be partially roasted for 35 minutes, until golden. Then, before serving, roast again in the hot oven for about 20 minutes.
Mary Berry roast potatoes recipeIngredients:
- 1.5kg old potatoes, peeled and cut into medium-sized cubes
- 40g semolina
- Four tablespoons of goose fat or vegetable oil
- Three thyme sprigs
- Salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan, then put the potatoes in a saucepan of cold, salted water.
Bring to a boil and boil for about five minutes, until starting to soften around the edges.
Drain in a colander until completely dry, then return to the saucepan and shake to roughen the edges.
Sprinkle in the semolina and shake again until coated. Semolina is a coarse wheat flour that, when sprinkled on parboiled potatoes before roasting, creates a rough surface.
These tiny ridges on the potatoes trap heat during cooking, forming a golden, crunchy crust.
As well as that, semolina also absorbs excess moisture, meaning you'll never end up with soggy potatoes. It can be purchased from any supermarket, including a 500g pack from Sainsbury's for £1.45. This recipe only requires 40g of semolina, so it costs just 12p.
Preheat a large shallow roasting tin in the oven until hot. Add the fat to the tin and heat for five minutes until smoking.
Carefully add the potatoes, turn in the fat until coated and scatter over the thyme sprigs.
Return to the oven and roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown and crisp, turning the potatoes halfway through. Then, serve your crunchy semolina-coated roast potatoes straightaway.
