Christmas is just weeks away and the weather has everyone swapping weekend plans out for settling in with a good Netflix series and a better comfort meal - so what better time to add a bit of culinary magic to your roast potatoes?
Perhaps inspired by the generosity of the Christmas season, superstar chefs are sharing all their secrets recently - including James Martin’s secret recipe for a perfect gravy and Clodagh McKenna’s trick for Bolognese and stews - and Jamie Oliver joined them during a recent appearance on BBC’s The One Show.
Put on the spot, Jamie was asked to give us "the hack" for the perfect roasties, and it was one surprising addition that he called "the one" that had viewers paying attention.
When prompted by host Alex Jones to give viewers a speedy masterclass in mastering roast potatoes, Jamie rose to the challenge with a swift run-through of his process and preferred ingredients, including "a spritz of good vinegar."
Not something that everyone might immediately have thought to include with their Sunday dinner staple, but it’s something that could make all the difference.
As for the rest of Jamie’s advice on serving up superb roasties? From start to finish, he revealed all.
Rattling off instructions as if he was back in the kitchens, he wasted no time, launching into "Maris Piper, peel, boil, salted boiling water, fourteen minutes, drain."
Next, he said to "chuff it up until it’s kind of a bit frosty on the outside" before choosing your chosen fat.
Then it’s about adding some herbs and flavours, with Jamie specifically calling out rosemary and garlic. It’s here that you "roast it until lightly golden and then squash it" to give it "more surface area."
And then comes the secret ingredient, the "spritz of good good vinegar" before popping them back in the oven until they’re golden crisp.
In Jamie’s own words, you should have the "best roast potatoes ever."
