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I Asked An Ex-Royal Chef How To Cook 'Perfect' Roast Potatoes, And I've Been Doing It So Wrong

I Asked An Ex-Royal Chef How To Cook 'Perfect' Roast Potatoes, And I've Been Doing It So Wrong

I’m pretty obsessive about my roast potatoes. I follow Mary Berry’s advice (to add semolina to the parboiled spuds for added crunch), never cook them in olive oil , and let my boiled ’taters cool in the fridge overnight (it really helps ). You’d think that would mean I’ve perfected the recipe, right? Well, after hearing from former royal chef Darren McGrady , I’m starting to wonder. Speaking to HuffPost UK after working with SmoothSpins , the expert shared his thoughts on everything from the potato he thinks is best (not my beloved Kerr’s Pinks) to the best cooking temperature and even the perfect salt to season them with. And if that wasn’t helpful enough, he added instructions for timing it for a Christmas roast fit for royalty. How does Darren McGrady make the best roast potatoes? 1) Don’t crowd your oven First of all, he doesn’t cook them at the same time as big, bulky items, which block the heat of your oven. “They have to be cooked at a high temperature,” he explained. “There’s no point having them ready to go in the oven [while] the turkey is still sitting in there, because it fills up the full oven.” 2) Pick the perfect floury spuds He added, “In terms of prep, you would peel your King Edwards and cut them into nice-sized chunks”. These are the closest to Yukon Golds in the UK, “and that’s what we used at the palace”. “Once you’ve cut them, you put them into a pan of cold water. Once your turkey is about 10/15 minutes [from being ready to take out]... You boil them and let them boil for about five minutes,” he explained. “By that time, your turkey is ready, so take it out of the oven and let it rest – that’s important.” 3) “Chuff” your potatoes After that, McGrady advised increasing the temperature of the oven to 230 degrees Celsius, “which is high, but you need it”. “Then you strain your potatoes off into a colander, shake them to fluff them up and rough the edges,” he said. This process, called “chuffing”, gives your potatoes more surface area, which crisps up as you cook. 4) Choose your oil carefully Once parboiled and chuffed, “they then go into some hot oil,” McGrady shared. But he doesn’t think any old fat will do. “I would recommend avocado oil; it’s got a high enough flash point to cook the potatoes,” he said. Apply this “liberally,” he advised, and “leave them in there while you’re getting everything put together – they’re going to take about 20 minutes, but halfway through, turn them over, give them a stir so the other sides get cooked”. 5) Be picky about your salt, too That halfway point is a great time to season your spuds further, the royal chef stated. But make sure to “get some nice kosher [flaky] salt – that’s what you need, not normal table salt”. He advises giving them “a nice sprinkle” of kosher salt and then putting them back in the oven. 6) Leave it ’til the last minute to take them out of the oven For truly unforgettable roasties, McGrady recommends giving them as much time as possible to crisp up. “Leave them in the oven whilst you’re slicing the turkey and putting everything on the table,” he revealed. “Last minute, pull out those crispy, crunchy roast potatoes... they’re so crispy [that] when you bite into them... all the juices run down your chin. They should be so flavourable and light and fluffy on the inside – the perfect roasties.” Related... I Tried A Water Trick For The Creamiest Mashed Potato, And I'm Never Going Back The Roast Potato Mistake Chefs Never Make So THAT's Why Restaurant Mashed Potatoes Are So Much Better

PM facing Brexit fury after insisting UK must ‘keep moving’ towards closer ties to boost growth after chaotic Budget

PM facing Brexit fury after insisting UK must ‘keep moving’ towards closer ties to boost growth after chaotic Budget

SIR Keir Starmer faces a major backlash after insisting Britain must “keep moving” towards closer ties with Brussels after downgrades to growth figures at the Budget. The Prime Minister outlined how the UK mist “confront the reality” that the economy has suffered after leaving the European Union as he scrambles to stronger links. His intervention...