Christmas Roast Potatoes With Rosemary Garlic Salt

Method

1. The day before, peel the potatoes and cut them into even 5cm pieces. Even matters more than tidy, since one small piece on a tray of large ones burns while the rest are still pale.
2. Put them in a big pot of cold water with the fine salt and the bicarbonate of soda. Starting them in cold water brings the outsides and the middles up at closer to the same rate, and the bicarb softens the surface starch so it roughs up properly.
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer 8 to 10 minutes. They are ready when a knife slides 5mm into a corner and meets resistance in the middle. Overcooked here means collapsed later.
4. Drain into a colander and leave them alone for 5 minutes to steam dry.
5. Shake the colander hard, three or four times, until the outsides look scuffed and floury. Those torn edges are what turn into crust, so be rougher than feels reasonable.
6. Spread them in a single layer on a tray, let them cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered overnight, or up to two days. Covering them while warm traps the steam you just worked to remove.
7. On the day, heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Divide the oil between two oven trays and put them in for 10 minutes, until the oil moves like water when you tilt the tray.
8. Pull the trays out and lay the cold potatoes in, cut side down, turning each one in the oil. They should hiss as they land. Keep a gap between them.
9. Roast for 30 minutes without opening the door or moving anything.
10. Turn each potato, tuck in the rosemary sprigs if you are using them, and roast another 20 to 25 minutes until deep gold and blistered.
11. Tip them onto a warm platter and scatter the rosemary garlic salt flakes over while the surfaces are still hot and glossy, then grind over black pepper. Toss once, no more.
12. Serve within 10 minutes. Sitting under foil is what turns a good roast potato back into a boiled one.

If the oven is wanted for something else at the wrong moment, split the roast: do the first 30 minutes in the morning, leave the trays out on the bench, then give them 20 minutes back at 220°C before you sit down. Salt them only after that second stint.

Questions we get asked

How do you get roast potatoes crispy?

Four things, in order of how much they matter. Dry the surface, which is what the parboil, the shake and the night in the fridge are all doing. Rough the edges up so there is torn starch to fry rather than smooth skin. Get the fat properly hot before the potatoes touch it, or the first minutes are spent absorbing oil instead of sealing. And give each piece space, because a crowded tray traps steam and steam is the enemy of every crust. Salt goes on at the end, since salt applied early pulls moisture back to the surface.

Can you parboil potatoes the day before Christmas?

Yes, and they are better for it. Parboil, drain, shake, cool completely, then keep them uncovered on a tray in the fridge for up to two days. The fridge air dries the outsides, which is exactly what you want. If space is tight, a lidded container works once they are stone cold, though the crust will be a little softer. Do not store them sitting in water, which undoes the whole exercise.

What potatoes are best for roasting in Australia?

Sebago is the standard brushed potato in Australian supermarkets and the easiest good choice, with Coliban and King Edward doing the same job. Dutch Cream gives a creamier inside and a gentler crust. Steer clear of washed baby, chat or salad potatoes: they are waxy, they will not fluff, and no amount of shaking will give you edges. If the bag says boiling or salads, put it back for another night.

The jar is the part to get right here. Rosemary Garlic Salt Flakes are $12.95 for 50g, and the Kangaroo Island Fresh Garlic range keeps the plain and chilli versions at the same size and price, so the three of them together are three finishes for one spot on the shelf. They sit alongside the rest of our festive entertaining essentials, and turn up inside our Christmas hampers when the cook is the one being given something. Shipping is free Australia-wide on orders over $100, and orders placed before 12pm on a weekday are dispatched the same day from our Corio, VIC warehouse, tracked with Australia Post.