Mary Berry’s roast potato recipe uses pantry staple for extra crunchy texture

The TV chef’s Simple Comforts recipe uses one storecupboard ingredient to create ultra-crispy, golden roast potatoes that are still fluffy inside

If you’re on cooking duties this weekend, you really can’t go wrong with potatoes as a side. They’re incredibly versatile and delicious, but one of the most popular methods of serving your spuds is getting them beautifully roasted.

Despite seeming like a fairly simlpe dish, there’s plenty of scope for things to go wrong. One error and your spuds can turn out limp rather than crispy – which nobody wants to find on their plate.

Luckily, cooking legend Mary Berry has solved this issue, and her solution involves adding in just one additional cupboard staple.

In her cookbook, Simple Comforts, she shared the trick for achieving crispy, crunchy potatoes that remain fluffy inside. A sprinkle of semolina flour – typically used for making pasta and pizza dough – delivers a gorgeous golden-brown coating with far more texture, , reports the Express.

The recipe notes explain: “A roast potato should be ultra-crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling the potatoes ahead and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crispy outside, with the semolina adding extra crunch.”

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy yet delicious side.

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Mary Berry’s crispy roast potatoes

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, cut into medium-sized chunks
• 50g semolina
• Three tbsp goose fat
• Three tbsp sunflower oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F)/200°C (425°F) fan/Gas 7. Place the potato chunks into a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and leave for approximately five minutes until the edges begin to soften.

Drain through a colander and leave until completely dry. Return them to the pan and give it a vigorous shake to roughen up the edges, then scatter over the semolina and shake once more until every piece is thoroughly coated.

Meanwhile, get your roasting tin piping hot in the oven. Add the goose fat and oil, then heat for a further five minutes until it’s smoking hot.

Carefully tip in the potatoes, using tongs to turn them in the fat until evenly coated. Slide the tray into the oven and roast for roughly 45-55 minutes until crispy and golden, turning them over halfway through cooking.

These can be prepared up to 12 hours in advance, and when you’re ready to serve, simply pop them back into a hot oven for 15-20 minutes to reheat. If you can’t get your hands on goose fat, Mary suggests swapping it out for extra sunflower oil.