Look Local’s Holiday Kitchen: Our Best Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

•  1.5 kg russet potatoes (serves about 6)
•  Duck fat or unsalted butter or olive oil (enough to form thin layer across your baking tray)
•  5 or 6 garlic cloves
•  1 bunch of fresh rosemary
•   1 teaspoon of baking soda
•  Cooking spray (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into even sized chunks.
3. Soak the potatoes in cold water for 5 minutes and drain to remove excess starch.
4. Whilst the potatoes are soaking, spray a large baking tray evenly with cooking spray and add your fat – olive oil, butter or duck fat (in order of glutinousness). Place baking tray into the oven.
5. Tip potatoes into a large pot, cover with lukewarm salted water. Add teaspoon of baking soda which helps to create fluffy edges. Parboil for 10 minutes, or until a fork can readily puncture each chunk, then drain in a colander.
6. Leave to steam dry in the colander for 3 minutes and give it a shake until the potatoes form fluffy edges – this will help to make them super-crisp later on.
7. Tip the potatoes into the now hot tray in one layer. Season well with salt and black pepper. Toss the potatoes in the fat, then roast for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden.
8. Now’s the time for a key step. Gently squash each potato with a potato masher or spatula to increase the surface area – the more of your potato that’s in contact with the pan, the crispier it will be.
9. Add rosemary, unpeeled garlic cloves and 1 good lug of oil to a small bowl. Mix until garlic and rosemary are evenly coated.
10. Evenly distribute rosemary and garlic mixture with the potatoes and give the pan a good shake. Flip and gently squash each potato again, then pop back in the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until crispy and delicious.