If you’ve longed to master the art of making perfect roast potatoes but haven’t managed to pull it off, a chef on social media may just have the fail-safe recipe you need. As we wait for summer to grace our doorsteps, it’s prime time for those succulent roasties to turn golden brown with that satisfying crispy exterior and remain sumptuously soft inside; that’s exactly what @theculinarycartel on TikTok promises with her method.
“Golden, crunchy, and perfectly seasoned, these roast potatoes are the ultimate side dish for any occasion,” she shares proudly in her post. To tempt us further, she adds: “Serve them alongside your favourite roast, or eat them straight from the pan-I won’t judge.” The culinary expert shared that prep time takes a mere 15 minutes, after which the potatoes require baking for an hour and 15 minutes – an investment for an outcome that’s sure to dazzle fresh from the oven.
She said that she was going to “dive into some potato science,” but told people to “trust her” because it was actually “really simple”. All you need to do is add a magic ingredient – baking soda.
“Start with cold, salted water and add a touch of baking soda. This raises the alkalinity of the water, making the pectin on the exterior of the potato break down,” she elaborates, revealing, “Basically, baking soda creates more texture, which means more area to get crispy.”
Next, you need to “cool your potatoes, then cover in a mix of duck fat and oil, cook undisturbed for a few minutes and then flip and continue to roast”. She described the potato skin as a “perfect crust” once she’d taken them out of the oven.
In the comments, someone queried: “Can I just use normal oil or does it make a difference?” To which she replied: “A high smoke oil like rapeseed or peanut is fine. Just don’t use olive oil. Duck/chicken/ beef drippings gives a great flavour”. Another eager home cook asked: “Thoughts on potatoes in an air fryer?” She responded: “Really good! Same principles as these. But you can only make small batches as they need space to get crisp,” Will you be attempting to achieve perfectly crisp potatoes like these?
Let us know in the comments….