Roast potatoes are an essential Sunday lunch accompaniment. We’ve all enjoyed them for as long as we can remember and if you’ve ever had a Sunday dinner without them you’ll have noticed how naked the meal feels. Mostly we tend to have them as they come, but sometimes it’s nice to mix things up and add a few additional ingredients. In this recipe I’ve gone for the somewhat classic garlic and rosemary. This is a great way to get additional flavour into your roasties without over-complicating matters, just a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary and some bashed garlic cloves dropped in about halfway through cooking. Easy.
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Floury potatoes, such as King Edward and Maris Piper are perfect for roasting as their crumbly texture allows the edges to become crispy after par-boiling. You need to be careful not to over boil them, however, or they will quickly break apart completely before you can even begin roasting them. 5-7 minutes from when the water is boiling is a good amount of time to get a soft edge to the potatoes without overcooking them.
The next step is to drain them, ideally reserving the potato water, which is perfect for making gravy. You can try my Vegan Gravy Recipe here. Once you have drained the potatoes into a colander you want to give them a little shake. What this does is break the edges up slightly, which will crispen up during cooking and give you that perfect crunchy roast.
It is essential that the oil you put the potatoes into is hot enough to fry them as soon as they hit the pan. It you want crispy potatoes, make sure that oil is hot first. Just be careful when putting the potatoes into the hot oil as it will splash.

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Garlic and Rosemary Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
Gluten-Free
- 1.8 kg floury potatoes such as King Edwards or Maris Piper, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- ½ bulb garlic cloves bashed and skins removed
- 2 sprigs rosemary leaves pulled off
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Bring the pan to the boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the potatoes are tender on the outside, but not cooked all the way through. Drain into a colander, reserving the potato water for gravy, and shake a little to rough up the edges.
- Heat the oven to gas 7/220C/425F.
- Put the oil into a large roasting dish and put the dish in the middle of the oven for about 5 minutes to get hot. Once the oil is hot enough, remove from the oven and carefully tip the potatoes into the oil. They should sizzle and start to fry straight away. Gently stir the potatoes with a slotted spoon and then put them back in the middle of the oven.
- Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. After 35 minutes, add the garlic and rosemary leaves and season with the salt. Mix through, then mix again about 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Remove from the oven when the potatoes are browned and crisp.


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