For many households across Britain, the quest for the perfect roast potato – with a golden, crunchy exterior and a fluffy, soft interior – is a weekly culinary challenge. With air fryers now a staple in UK kitchens, achieving that ideal texture can seem elusive. However, experts have revealed three straightforward methods to guarantee restaurant-quality results every time.
The Foundation: Perfect Preparation
According to specialists from online butchers Campbells Meat, shared with the Express, the journey to flawless roasties begins long before they hit the air fryer basket. Their first crucial tip revolves around the par-boiling stage. After chopping and peeling your potatoes, they advise adding half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the boiling water.
This creates an alkaline environment which works to soften the potato's outer layer significantly. More importantly, it increases the surface starch, creating the ideal foundation for a spectacularly crispy finish once cooked.
Creating the Crucial Crunch
The second step is all about texture generation. Once the potatoes have been par-boiled and thoroughly drained, the professionals recommend the classic 'shake' technique. Giving the colander or pan a vigorous shake roughs up the edges of the potatoes, creating more surface area. This ragged surface is key for trapping fat and crisping up beautifully.
For an even more enhanced crunch, they suggest an additional step: sprinkling the potatoes with semolina or plain flour after shaking. This coating absorbs moisture and fries to a delightful crisp. For a flavourful twist, you can even swap the flour for a crushed stock cube, infusing the potatoes with a savoury depth.
The Finishing Touch: Fat and Technique
The final element concerns the cooking medium and method. The experts advocate smothering the prepared potatoes liberally in duck fat, renowned for its rich flavour and high smoke point, though vegetable oil is a fine alternative. A generous seasoning of salt and pepper is essential.
For cooking, set your air fryer to 180°C. It is critical to spread the potatoes in a single layer, avoiding overcrowding to ensure hot air can circulate freely for even cooking and browning. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time to guarantee an all-over golden colour.
By combining these three strategies – the bicarbonate of soda par-boil, the rough-and-tumble shake, and the correct use of fat – home cooks can consistently produce what the experts describe as roast potatoes with an 'irresistible crispiness'. This method offers a quicker, more energy-efficient path to a Sunday dinner centrepiece that rivals any traditional oven-roasted version.
