Ingredients
- Potatoes: Pick a potato that is good for roasting, Vivaldi (the ones I used for this recipe), Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree, or any potato that is good for roasting with a moderate starch content.
- Cotswold Gold Rapeseed Oil
- A good handful of semolina (the crunchy magic dust)
- Flaky sea salt
Gloriously Golden Roast Potatoes
Crisp, golden and the true stars of the roast, I’ve always had a soft spot for crispy, crunchy (yet fluffy on the inside) roast potatoes.
These are exactly that, helped along with a couple of golden ingredients to make them shine.
If I'm going to be busy concentrating on something fancy for a roast dinner or Christmas mealtime, I like to make some in advance as they can be stored either in the fridge or freezer (if you’re organized) and then simply reheated so they are hot and crispy when you need them.
If there are any leftover roasties in the fridge I'm quite partial to grabbing one as a snack and eating it with a cube of strong cheddar.
Method
- Get ready: Peel your potatoes and cut them into roughly even sizes. Halve or quarter the big lads, leave the little ones as they are.
Drop each piece straight into a pan of cold water as it will keep them from oxidising and wash off any excess starch. - Heat things up: Drain, refill with just enough fresh water to cover the potatoes and put them on a high heat on the hob. Pop your roasting tray into the oven and turn it to 220°C (fan). Let that tray get “roasting” hot.
- Simmer down: When the water starts to boil, add salt and turn it down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, you’re not aiming for mash, just a bit of softness on the edges.
- Oil on the boil: Using oven gloves, carefully remove the roasting tray and pour in a generous glug of Cotswold Gold Rapeseed Oil, then return it to the oven to heat up. You will want the oil to be good and hot for when you add the potatoes.
- Steam + Shake = The Secret: Drain your potatoes, then leave them to steam dry for 5 minutes in the pot with the lid off. Add a good handful of semolina, pop the lid on and shake until the potatoes look slightly roughed up and are wearing a snug coating of semolina.
- The sizzling moment: Carefully take the hot tray out of the oven and tip in the potatoes away from you avoiding getting splashed with the hot oil. (If you're dressed for a party, make sure to be wearing an apron!) Use a spoon or heatproof pastry brush to cover the potatoes with the hot oil.
- Roast + Turn + Roast: They should be in the oven for around 40 minutes in total, following the steps below.
- Place them in the oven at 220°C for 5 minutes, then turn down to 200°C.
- After 10 minutes: stir the potatoes, making sure they are roasting evenly.
- After another 15 minutes, stir again.
- After a final 10 minutes (ish, depending on your oven and size of roasties) you should have reached crunchy perfection, some light and some dark golden, take them out when they are roasted to your liking.
- Finish them with flair: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and add some herbs if you want, but honestly? They’re perfect naked.
Storing / Make-Ahead
- Fridge: 1–2 days
- Freezer: weeks, and they reheat beautifully
Why these roasties are the golden standard
- Cotswold Gold Rapeseed Oil = heat-friendly, flavour, colour and crispiness.
- Steam dry = fluffy insides, not soggy mash.
- Semolina = crispy armour plating which keeps your roasties crisp even in a sea of gravy.
- High heat + turning = no potatoes stuck to the pan or looking pasty on one side.
With these simple tips you will get a good contrast of soft insides hidden by a satisfying crisp crust.
No more “excuse the roasties” moments.
