Roast potatoes are often the highlight of a Christmas dinner, but many home cooks find them one of the hardest sides to get right.
With timing, texture and flavour to balance, achieving a crisp exterior and soft centre can add unnecessary pressure on Christmas Day.
Stuart Garner, In-House Chef at Nanna Tate, the UK’s newest potato brand, has shared straightforward methods to help home cooks master the perfect roast potatoes and make them the standout dish on the table.
Nanna Tate’s Tips for Festive Roast Potatoes
START WITH A PARBOIL
“For the perfect Christmas roast potatoes, you need to parboil them first to get the insides soft and fluffy. For the perfect parboiling technique, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water to help break down the starch and give you fluffier edges. Make sure you drain them thoroughly before roasting.
“A top trick is to rough up the edges of the par boiled potatoes before roasting by tossing them in a colander first. This creates extra surface area, for that golden crispy crunch we all love.
“You can even prep and parboil your potatoes the night before and leave them in the fridge uncovered until ready to roast. This not only saves valuable time but also dries them and will result in even crisper roasties.”
USE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF FAT
“Combine duck fat, goose fat or beef dripping with a little vegetable oil for unbeatable crispness without burning. Preheat the cooking fat in the roasting tray and make sure it’s good and hot before you carefully tip in your parboiled tates.
“Make sure you space your potatoes out in the roasting tray. Overcrowding will mean less crunch. Turn frequently to get an even, deep roasted colour and crunch. Make sure you leave plenty of time for roasting. With all the opening and closing of the oven door you’ll find they need quite a lot longer than you might normally give them.”
USE AN AIR FRYER IF YOU NEED SPACE
“If you find yourself struggling for oven space, then using an air fryer to cook your roasties is a great space saving trick. To get the perfect air fryer roast potato, parboil potatoes, shake to rough up the edges then dry well. Toss with oil, seasoning and a little cornflour, then air fry at 190–200°C for 20-35 minutes shaking halfway. For maximum crispiness, finish with a 3–5-minute high-heat blast.”
BUILD FLAVOUR IN LAYERS
“The key to elevating the perfect roast potato is seasoning. By layering up flavours at different stages of the cooking process you can turn a simple roast potato into something truly showstopping. Start by seasoning your potatoes with salt, pepper and a flavourful fat before cooking.
“During roasting add hardy herbs, more of your flavourful fat and whole garlic cloves to infuse aroma. To finish, add fresh herbs, lemon, flaky salt or Parmesan for brightness. For extra depth toss in roasted garlic before serving for a rich aromatic finish.”