Description
Enjoy perfectly crispy and truly crunchy roast potatoes with this simple recipe that uses semolina for an irresistible texture. The potatoes are parboiled, shaken with semolina and salt to roughen the edges, then roasted in hot safflower oil at a high temperature to achieve a golden, crunchy exterior and fluffy interior.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (165 ml) safflower oil
- 3 lb (1.5 kg) potatoes
- 2 tbsp semolina (polenta as best substitute)
- 2 tsp salt (increase to 3 tsp if preferred)
Instructions
- Heat the oil – Pour the safflower oil into a metal or cast iron baking dish and place it in the oven. Preheat your oven to its highest setting, ideally 250°C (480°F) fan-forced.
- Prepare the potatoes – Boil a large pot of water. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks about 6 cm (2.2 inches) wide.
- Parboil the potatoes – Boil the potato chunks for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain thoroughly and return the potatoes to the pot.
- Toss with semolina and salt – Sprinkle the semolina and salt over the potatoes. Place the lid on the pot and shake vigorously five times to roughen the edges of the potatoes. Leave them covered while you finish preheating the oven.
- Test the oil temperature – When the oven reaches temperature, the oil should be hot enough to sizzle a pinch of potato immediately when tossed in.
- Roast the potatoes – Carefully add the potatoes to the hot oil (watch for splashing). Toss them quickly using a spatula to coat in oil and spread them out evenly in the dish. Place the dish in the oven.
- Bake and turn – Reduce the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F). Roast the potatoes for about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until they develop a golden brown, crunchy exterior with some browned edges.
- Serve immediately – The potatoes are best enjoyed hot and crunchy but will keep their texture for around 30 minutes. They can also be reheated at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes (add 5 more minutes if refrigerated) to regain their crispiness.
Notes
- Use safflower oil for its high smoke point and neutral flavor.
- Polenta is a suitable substitute for semolina if unavailable.
- Adjust salt quantity based on your taste preference.
- Cutting potatoes to uniform size ensures even cooking.
- Monitor roasting time closely as oven temperatures and potato sizes vary.
- Using a metal or cast iron dish allows better heat distribution and oil heating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: crispy roast potatoes, crunchy roast potatoes, semolina potatoes, safflower oil potatoes, easy roast potatoes, perfect roast potatoes
