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Foodies are loving this roast potato hack using a store cupboard staple

A TikTok user has shared a genius hack to create the perfect crisp on a roast potato. (Getty Images)
A TikTok user has shared a genius hack to create the perfect crisp on a roast potato. (Getty Images)

A roast dinner with all the gravy-covered trimmings is one of life’s simple pleasures, and there’s no denying the fact that the star of the Sunday show is always, repeat always, the roast potatoes.

While everyone from your nan to Jamie Oliver will have their own secret way of cooking the perfect roast spud, getting the right amount of crisp on your tatties can still be a bit hit or miss.

But one TikTok user has shared his own hack for creating perfect, crispy potatoes every time.

And all you’ll need is one common store cupboard ingredient.

Sonny Hurrell, aka @thatdudecancook, shared his potato trick with his 3.1 million followers on TikTok and it is a game-changer.

Turns out all you need to go forth and roast the crispiest potatoes of your life is baking soda.

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Before Hurrell begins his potato roasting masterclass, the social media chef makes the disclaimer that his trick could well “change the way you make roast potatoes for the rest of your life”.

Like any seasoned potato roaster knows, you’ll first need to wash and peel your spuds before chopping them, any which way you like, as long as they’re all roughly the same size.

Hurrell also suggests bringing some water to boil before adding some salt, to parboil your spuds.

But then it’s time for the hack.

“Add a teaspoon of baking soda – that’s the trick!” he explains.

“The baking soda breaks down the edge of the potatoes which results in the best crunch possible!”

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The remainder of the tutorial involves cooking the potatoes in a pretty standard way, but if you’re new to the roast potato cooking game, the chef recommends parboiling the potatoes for 20-25 minutes until almost fork tender.

He then says to preheat your roasting tray in the bottom of a fan oven at 180 degrees celsius.

Drain your spuds, add a little oil and some rosemary salt, then toss the potatoes to coat them in the oil and salt.

He suggests adding some more olive oil to your hot roasting tray, before pouring in the potatoes and roasting for 35 to 40 minutes.

It is also recommended you turn the spuds every so often to ensure the baking soda can work its magic on the entire crust.

Is baking soda the key to crispy, roast potatoes? (Getty Images)
Is baking soda the key to crispy, roast potatoes? (Getty Images)

Unsurprisingly since Hurrell shared his simple store cupboard hack, it has been viewed more than 546K times and received thousands of comments from impressed viewers keen to give the trick a try.

“I just made these tonight and they were amazing! Thanks for the recipe,” one user wrote.

“These were a huge hit,” another agreed.

“This is the only way I make roast potatoes now,” another fan commented.

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While chefs have been debating recipes to create the best ever roast potatoes, scientists have also come up with a formula which promises to deliver perfect tatties every time.

Students from the Edge Hotel School at the University of Essex joined forces with maths experts at the Samuel Whitbread School in Bedfordshire to calculate the precise measurements needed to cook a golden spud and apparently, the key is maximising the surface area of the potatoes.

Meanwhile award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal has previously outlined his own trick for creating the crispy carbs and it involves parboiling them for at least 20 minutes first and tossing the skins into the water for added flavour.

Don’t know about you, but we’re counting down the days until Sunday lunch.

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