Christmas dinner · adaptation of a traditional recipe
Crispy Christmas roast potatoes
Fluffy-inside, crunchy-outside roast potatoes for Christmas dinner: Maris Piper or King Edward, parboiled for 10 minutes, roughed up and roasted in hot goose fat or oil at 220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7). Quantities in grams for 6, what to do the day before and how to keep them crisp while the turkey rests.
An adaptation of a traditional recipe, written in our own words. Every oven is different: go by colour and texture as well as the clock.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Makes
- serves 6 (1.5 kg potatoes)
Ingredients
- 1500 gfloury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled, cut into even pieces about the size of an egg
- 1 tablespoontable salt, for the water
- 1 tablespoonplain flour or fine semolina, for dusting
- 150 ggoose fat, duck fat or sunflower oil, enough to cover the base of the tin about 5 mm deep
- 3 clovesgarlic cloves, unpeeled, optional
- 3 sprigsrosemary or thyme, optional, added for the last 15 minutes
- 1 teaspoonflaky sea salt, to finish
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7). Put a large, sturdy roasting tin in with the fat and let it heat for at least 10 minutes, until the fat is hot and shimmering.
- 2
Put the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are soft and starting to break up but the middle is still firm.
- 3
Drain well in a colander and let the steam escape for 3 to 5 minutes. Give the colander a few firm shakes so the surfaces roughen up and look fluffy; this is what makes them crisp.
- 4
Sprinkle over the flour or semolina and shake again to coat. Be careful: take the hot tin out of the oven and tip in the potatoes, turning each one in the fat so it is coated. They should sizzle as they go in.
- 5
Roast for about 20 minutes, then turn them over with a spoon or tongs. Roast for a further 25 to 35 minutes, turning once more halfway, until deep golden and crisp all over.
- 6
Add the garlic and herbs for the last 15 minutes if using. Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper or straight onto a warm dish, scatter with flaky salt, and serve at once.
How to tell it's done
The potatoes are a deep golden brown, the edges are crunchy when you tap them with a spoon, and a knife goes through the middle without any resistance.
Food safety
Hot fat spits: use a sturdy tin, oven gloves, and keep children away when you add the potatoes. Don't leave cooked potatoes sitting at room temperature: cool leftovers quickly, chill within 1 to 2 hours and reheat once until steaming hot. If you use an oven that's also cooking the turkey, make sure the bird is covered and doesn't drip onto the potatoes.
What you can do ahead
Parboil, drain, rough up and let the potatoes cool completely in the morning (or the day before, covered, in the fridge). Heat the fat and flour them just before roasting; allow 5 to 10 extra minutes in the oven if they start cold. This frees up the hob while the turkey rests.
Storing and freezing
Cool leftovers within 1 to 2 hours, keep in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, once only. Parboiled, roughed-up potatoes can be frozen on a tray, then bagged, for up to 1 month: roast from frozen, in hot fat, for a few extra minutes.
Tips
- Floury varieties (Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree) give the fluffiest middles. Waxy new potatoes won't go crisp the same way.
- A hot tin and hot fat matter more than any trick: the potatoes should sizzle on contact.
- Cut them roughly the same size, about the size of a small egg. Pieces that are too small dry out; too big, and the middles don't cook.
- The turkey rests for 45 to 60 minutes, so you can push the oven up to the potatoes' temperature in that time. See the Christmas dinner plan for the whole timeline.
- No goose fat? Sunflower or rapeseed oil works. Goose fat gives a deeper flavour; a little duck fat saved from the roast is just as good.
Allergens
- Gluten (if using plain flour; semolina also contains gluten)
- Check goose or duck fat labels for other ingredients
Always check the labels on the ingredients you buy.
Questions
What temperature do you roast potatoes at for Christmas dinner?
220°C (200°C fan, gas mark 7) is the usual setting, with the fat heated in the tin first. Total roasting time is around 45 to 55 minutes, turning once or twice.
How long should I parboil roast potatoes?
About 8 to 10 minutes from the boil, until the outsides are soft and just beginning to crumble but the middle is still firm. Drain and shake so the surfaces roughen.
Can I make roast potatoes ahead for Christmas Day?
Yes. Parboil, drain, rough up and cool them on Christmas morning or the day before (covered in the fridge). Roast them in hot fat while the turkey rests. Parboiled potatoes also freeze for up to a month.
How many potatoes per person for Christmas dinner?
Allow about 250 g (raw, peeled weight) per person, which gives 3 to 4 big pieces each. For 6 people, that is 1.5 kg.
Why are my roast potatoes not crispy?
Usually the fat wasn't hot enough, the potatoes were wet, or the tin was too crowded. Let the steam escape after draining, shake to rough them up, use a big tin so they sit in one layer, and don't overcrowd.
Which potatoes are best for roasting?
Maris Piper and King Edward are the classic British choices; Desiree and Rooster also work. Choose a floury potato rather than a waxy one.