Chef shares 'best roast potato recipe ever' - and it's all down to one secret ingredient
Potatoes can truly make or break a Sunday roast, with many aiming to strike the perfect balance between a crunchy outer layer and soft interior. But one TikTok chef now claims their secret can take your tatties to a whole new level - and it involves just one surprising ingredient.
While your mind may be jumping to unusual herbs and spices, expert Oli Brandon suggests that simply adding a single teaspoon of baking soda to your usual recipe can make an unbelievable difference, reports the Mirror. Posting to his page (@olibrandon), he explained: "One teaspoon of baking soda and salt into boiling water and cook your potatoes until fork tender but not falling apart. Drain them off and fluff them up."
According to America's Test Kitchen, baking soda serves to raise the pH of the boiling water, making it possible for the so-called 'Maillard reaction' to occur. This is the process in which the browning of potatoes occurs, with its starch content interacting with proteins to enhance the flavours.
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After this, Oli recommends chopping up some rosemary and garlic to fry in a pan with lots of olive oil. Rosemary itself is also a rich source of antioxidants which is thought to help our immune systems while adding some much needed flavour.
Oli continued: "Toast these until lightly golden brown, then drain the oil off all over the potatoes...Make sure you spread that oil all over the potatoes, add salt and pepper and then bake them at 180°C for 20 minutes. Turn them over and bake them for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until super crispy."
Once cooked, Oli suggests putting the tatties in a bowl and adding the remaining toasted garlic and rosemary pieces that will have been left behind in the drainer earlier on. He claims that doing so will give you the 'best roast potatoes you've ever had'.
Oli's technique has been met with thousands of impressed comments on TikTok, with many voicing just how much they craved a roast after watching his potato trick. One person said: "It's 11pm and you've got me wanting roast potatoes."
A second said: "It's 3am and I'm eating dry cream crackers... how dare you mock me like this." A third said: "You ain't lying when you said this is the sound of the best roast potatoes. I approve!"