Lemony Roasted Potatoes Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil for roasting potatoes? ›

Any oil with a high smoke point is perfect for roasting potatoes. Think avocado oil, almond oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil; they'll all work great!

Do I have to boil potatoes before roasting? Not necessary but this can help get the perfect consistency and crispiness. Make sure you boil them but leave them a bit al dente and they will crisp up perfectly in the oven.

Placing your baking sheet on the middle oven rack is also key for even crisping. While a light coating of oil and high heat is enough to create crispy potatoes, a popular method in British cooking is to parboil them in water with a little baking soda before tossing them in oil and roasting them.

Goose fat is one of the first choices for roast potatoes because first of all – it tastes nice! It has a really rich flavour compared to your more common vegetable oils. It's a bit like how cooking your roast potatoes in dripping from your turkey can add more flavour to your spuds too – they're both animal fats.

Vegetable oil is the ideal choice for those who like a subtle, or blander flavour from their roast potatoes, because it cooks best at a medium heat and so the potatoes won't take on too much flavour from the oil. This also means the potatoes won't overpower other dishes.

Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy. Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.

Sprinkle your parboiled potatoes with flour. This gives potatoes extra crunch. A tablespoon is all you need! Throw in some whole, unpeeled garlic cloves or a handful of herbs (thyme, sage or rosemary all work well) with the potatoes when adding them to the hot roasting tin.

Parboiling the potatoes in alkaline water breaks down their surfaces, creating tons of starchy slurry for added surface area and crunch.

Why do roasted potatoes taste bad? When exposed to light, potatoes manufacture increasing amounts of chlorophyll as well as two bitter- tasting alkaloid compounds , solanine and chacocine. In high concentrations, these can not only make potatoes taste bitter but also can cause headache and stomachaches.

Why do my roasted potatoes taste bitter? ›

Solanine also causes a bitter flavor. If cooked potatoes taste bitter or cause a burning sensation in your mouth or throat, this can indicate high solanine levels, even if the potato does not look green ( 2 , 4).

Using Foil -

Foil traps the moisture in the potato causing the skin to be wet and the inside flavorless or gummy. Potatoes are made up of about 80% water, so sealing it up in foil does not allow enough water to escape, making it soggy.

Roasting your potatoes in butter rather than oil adds extra crunch and sweetness. While many of our favourite roast potato recipes call for duck fat or oil, this method uses butter to create crunchy edges and add a touch of indulgence to your traditional Sunday lunch.

The best potato for the job will change throughout the year, as the level of sugar fluctuates with each variety during storage. Dry matter – the non-water part of the potato – also varies. Too much and the potatoes will fall apart when they are cooked, too little and they will be soggy.

You want to use an oil with a mild flavour for your roasties. We prefer olive oil, but you can opt for vegetable, canola or grapeseed oils instead.

However avocado oil has a higher smoke-point which helps the potatoes get crispy without burning. You can sub for extra virgin olive oil but just keep an eye on the potatoes making sure they don't burn.

Our answer. You can substitute duck fat for goose fat and vice-versa. They both have a high smoke point so can be heated to quite high temperatures, so are ideal for roasting potatoes to golden crispness, and both have a better flavour for roast potatoes than oil.

For Fat and Flavor When Roasting, Choose Olive Oil or Ghee

Not only do they help food cook up with the crispiness you crave, but each one also imparts its own unique flavor that you just don't get from neutral oils like grapeseed or canola.