He’s the celebrity chef responsible for some weird and wonderful concoctions like snail porridge but Hesthon Blumenthal swears by his classic, iconic roast potato recipe.
The experimental cook goes back to basics in his recipe book Is This A Cookbook?: Adventures in the Kitchen, which lists some delicious takes on firm British favourites including the humble roastie. For Heston’s ‘perfect’ roast potatoes, you need just one added ingredient: vegetable oil – or goose fat or lard if you prefer. For an extra flavour boost, you can also add thyme and garlic. With these ingredients, roast potatoes will be ‘crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside’ and also taste beautiful.
Talking up the recipe, Heston said: “In the end isn’t a roast all about the roast potatoes? While we all love a roast, I reckon that deep down we all have this secret shared belief that the best bit of any roast is the roast potato.
“Of course, there’s a majesty to a tender, juicy, aromatic bird with a lovely browned skin. Of course, a big-flavoured gravy makes a difference.
“But no matter how delicious everything else is, if the roasties aren’t quite there, then we’re not quite satisfied. That’s probably part of the reason I got a little bit obsessed about getting roast potatoes with exactly the texture I wanted: crispy and crunchy on the outside; soft and fluffy on the inside. So, if that’s how you like your potatoes, you’re in for a treat.”
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To cook them, peel your potatoes and cut into even size chunks. Immerse the potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning, then rinse in a colander under cold water to remove excess starch.
Then fill a large pan with lightly salted water, add the potatoes, bring the water to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Drain them, then spread on a large wire rack to cool.
While this is going on, heat the oven to 180C or gas mark 6. Select a large roasting tray, big enough to take all the potatoes, and spread them all out in a single layer. Here, add your oil – or you can use goose fat or even lard – to the roasting tray to create a shallow layer roughly 5mm deep.
Lay the potatoes out in the roasting tray, including the broken up bits, and roast for 20 minutes.
Turn the potatoes and roast for another 20 minutes, until lightly golden on all sides, then turn once more.
Scatter the thyme over the potatoes and then smash garlic cloves with a knife and add them to the tray. Cook for 20 more minutes until the potatoes are golden and crispy, then season with salt and serve immediately.