Do I have to boil the potatoes first?

If you want super crispy roast potatoes, this step is key. You can of course roast potatoes without parboiling, but it'll be harder to get that super crispy crust and buttery soft inside. The purpose of boiling the potatoes first is to part cook them and to soften up that outside layer so that the hot oil clings to it and you get all the lovely crusty, craggy bits.

I don't have polenta, what can I use instead?

No problem at all - there are a couple of things you can use instead of polenta. Plain flour is the one that most people will have in the cupboard, or you could use semolina or almond flour.

What kind of potatoes works best for this recipe?

Much like the heat of your oil, potato type is super important if you're looking for a super crispy result. I like using Maris piper potatoes, but Yukon Gold or King Edward are other examples you could use. You just want to stay away from new potatoes or waxy potatoes because they won't get that fluffy inside we're after.

Crispy Skin On Roast Potatoes

Name: Crispy Skin On Roast Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1/2 cup sunflower, light olive or rapeseed oil; 1kg Maris piper potatoes; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 tablespoons polenta; 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt; 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped; 2 tablespoon thyme leaves; Zest of 1 lemon

Description

You CAN get super crispy roast potatoes without peeling them. This skin on roast potatoes recipe saves so much time, you’ll never go back. Just chop, parboil, roast and you’re done!

I’ve mixed through a lovely mix of rosemary, thyme and lemon zest at the end to really help the potatoes sing.

Remember, if you’re looking for US measurements, use the ‘Units’ section below and click on ‘US’.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup sunflower, light olive or rapeseed oil
1kg Maris piper potatoes
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons polenta
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoon thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon

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Instructions

Heat your oil. Pour the half cup of oil into a large roasting tray or ovenproof dish big enough to hold all the potatoes on one layer. You may need to use two, depending on the size of your tray. Pop into the oven and turn it to 250C/480F fan.
Par-boil the potatoes. Chop your potatoes into rough, large chunks – I normally cut them into three chunks on a diagonal – then pop in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of the salt and cover with cold water. Put the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
Drain and shake the potatoes. Drain the water out of the pot using a colander, then put the potatoes back into the dry pot. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of polenta, then give the pot a very good shake, making sure the polenta coats the potatoes and they get a little roughed up (this will give you the lovely crispy exterior). Leave the potatoes to steam dry while your oven and the oil get very hot – the oven should be heating for at least 30 minutes.
Roast the potatoes. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and tip the potatoes into the tray with the hot oil, being careful to avoid any hot oil splatter. Turn the oven down to 220C and roast for 45 minutes, turning a couple of times throughout the cooking process. After 45 minutes the potatoes should be golden and crispy on the outside (you can cut into one to test this). Once they are golden and crispy, remove them from the oven.
Prepare the garnish. Mix the chopped rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of flaky sea salt in a small bowl.
Garnish and serve. Add the rosemary, thyme, lemon zest and salt mix to the tray and mix through the potatoes. Transfer them to a serving plate and eat straight away (you can also serve them directly from the roasting dish for easy an clean up).

Notes

You can use any fluffy potato variety here – King Edward or Yukon gold are other examples if you can’t find Maris piper. You just want to stay away from waxy potatoes as they won’t get as fluffy.

Switch out the polenta for plain flour if you can’t find it.

To make the potatoes ahead of time, cook them for 20 minutes or until they’re starting to look golden. Remove them from the tray and set them aside to cool, then drain the oil into a container. You can refrigerate both (covered) for a day and then all you’ll need to do is heat the oil in a tray for 10 minutes at 250C/480F fan, before popping the potatoes back in and cooking for another 25 minutes until golden and crispy all over.

You can also cook the potatoes for 20 minutes earlier in the day you’re going to serve them, remove them and leave them at room temperature, then just add them back into the oven for another 25 minutes when you’re ready to serve.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 45
Category: sides
Method: oven
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 200g

Keywords: skin on potatoes, no peel potatoes, roast potatoes no peel, roast potatoes skin on, roast potato recipe