First up on our Budget Bites series, we’re sprucing up the humble spud. Potatoes are a filling, cheap and often used as the base or ‘bulker’ of meals – but they are also capable of producing an array of show-stopping sides using one simple cooking technique that never fails us.
Thankfully this technique is nothing fancy, it’s simply to boil the potatoes first, then rough up their exterior before roasting to create the crispiest spud!
Applying this method to different types of potatoes and using different oils/fats to cook them creates different culinary experiences! To top it off – serve these crispy delights with the perfect condiment and it will be a potato dish you’ll never forget.
Agria Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
When agria and sweet potatoes are boiled the starchy exterior breaks down creating a rough and large surface area – prime property for crisping. You can create an even larger surface area by ‘bashing’ the drained potatoes in the pot.
- Agria potatoes – fluffy on the inside, golden and crunchy on the outside.
- Sweet potatoes – soft and pillowy with a caramelised exterior due to the higher sugar content. We love to roast them in butter which pairs so nicely with the natural sweetness of the potato.
Tip
- Usually when boiling potatoes you would bring them to a boil from cold water, to avoid the outside cooking before the inside does. However, as we only want to cook the exterior, it’s best to start in already-boiling water.
Method
- Heat oven to 220 degrees, fan bake.
- Place the potatoes into a large pot with boiling water and add a generous pinch of salt. Cook until potatoes are tender and cooked halfway through, approx. 10 minutes. Drain well once cooked.
- Pop the potatoes back into the pot and give it a good shake and bash, roughing up the outside of the potatoes (the ‘rough’ exterior will allow them to get extra crispy).
- Place all the potatoes and potato ‘bits’ from the pot onto a baking tray, drizzle generously with oil or fat of choice and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until they are golden and crispy. (Use this time as a guideline – every oven is different so make sure to check on them).
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