Name: The Best Roast Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1kg potatoes, larger potatoes cut in halves or quarters so they're all evenly sized {see note 1}; 100g beef fat {or duck fat, _or_ oil - see note 2}; 1.5L water; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp bicarb soda/baking soda; 3-4 rosemary stems; 3 cloves garlic {crushed}; Flaky finishing salt {i.e. Maldon}; Finely sliced parsley, to serve {optional}

I get this is a big claim - but the amount of people who have asked me for this recipe is in the dozens. Everyone loves roast potatoes and they always go quick whenever you have a roast dinner. It's the perfect accompaniment to your favourite roast meat.

The best part about this is that this is super simple to do. Yes, it's a little more involved than just throwing your spuds in a baking tray, but it's not that much more complex.

Roast potato ingredients

Roasting/baking potatoes - see the Which potato variety should I use? section below about which potato varieties are best for you. I prefer to peel them, but you could keep the skins on if you want.
Beef fat - I use beef fat as I think it has the best flavour but you could use duck fat or an oil. See the The best fats to use section below for some options!
Bicarb soda/baking soda - we use this to change the alkalinity of the water which is what gives these potatoes such a great crust. It's optional, but for the best results give it a go.
Salt - by seasoning the cooking water, the interior of the potatoes will become more salty.
Rosemary and garlic - optional, but these bring a great flavour to the spuds.

How to make the best roast potatoes

Peel your potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly. Place your baking tray along with the fat into your preheated oven, anywhere from 180-200C.
Add the water to a large pot and place the potatoes into it, along with the salt and baking powder (1). Cook until you can insert a tooth pick with a bit of resistance, but should be around 10 minutes for average sized potatoes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pot. Gently shake the pot to rough up the outside edges of the potatoes, taking care to not break the potatoes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully place the potatoes into it (1). Don't drop the potatoes because the fat will burn and potatoes might break. Crush the garlic cloves with the base of a heavy pan and add them along with the rosemary to the baking dish (2).
Cook for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and turn over each of the potatoes. Bake for a further 25 minutes.
By now, the potatoes should be nicely golden. Rotate them once more while you start dishing up - leave the potatoes in the oven until you're ready to put them on your plate. When you're ready, place them on a paper towel to absorb excess fat and then place on the plate or serving platter. I like to top them with a flaky finishing salt and a sprinkling of parsley.

Tips

Use the best floury potatoes you can find for roasting. See below for some advice in Which potato variety should I use?.
Using the garlic and rosemary is optional but it adds a great savoury flavour. Thyme also works very well.
Preheat your baking dish with the fat while you're boiling the potatoes so the potatoes don't absorb too much fat.
Start the potatoes about 1 hour 10 minutes before you want to eat them. They'll bake fine in a fan forced oven with your meat for about an hour anywhere from 180-200C.
Salting the water you boil the potatoes in seasons the inside of the potato and improves the taste.
Try to make sure your potatoes are as close to the same size as possible. Cut the larger ones in halves or quarters to accommodate. This helps to make sure they all cook at the same time.
Use a potato masher to gently push down on the potatoes after you flip them to get even more craggy bits.

Which potato variety should I use?

Here's some advice for what are considered the best roasting potatoes for the main readership of The Aproneer:

Australia - King Edward, Up-to-date, Kennebec, Sebago
US - Russet or Yukon Gold
UK - Maris Piper, King Edward,

If you're outside of these countries, fear not! Use your favourite search engine to see what floury potato is recommended for roasting, if one of the above varieties are not available.

As a rule of thumb, waxy potatoes are not ideal for roasting because their low starch content and higher moisture content result in a less crispy exterior and fluffier interior compared to floury potatoes. You can roast waxy potatoes in a punch, but floury potatoes will yield the best result.

The best fats to use

It's very common to see duck fat potatoes on restaurant menus in Australia. Duck fat is a great choice, but I think that beef fat has the better flavour. Pork and lamb fat are strong tasting but you could always cut that with a little olive oil.

Beef fat is king. You can find it at most supermarkets - look for dripping or tallow.
Duck fat is a great alternative if you can't find beef fat or don't like the taste.
Olive oil if you want to use an oil, or if you must use a seed oil, use rapeseed or canola.

Don't use extra-virgin olive oil for roasting potatoes!

Why do we boil the potato?

We boil the potatoes with bicarb soda / baking soda which adjusts the alkalinity of the water, which gives a thicker and more golden crust to the potato. Boiling the potato allows the outside to soften which is key to getting the crunchy craggy bits.

What to serve with roast potatoes

A roast is the classic accompaniment
Chicken Kiev's or schnitzels
Grilled meat like steak or chicken breast

I like to top the roast potatoes with a good flaky finishing salt (like Maldon) and a sprinkling of parsley.