Crispy roast potatoes recipe

First you need to par-boil the potatoes. Half-fill a large saucepan with cold water. Peel a potato, cut it in half and put straight into the pan (the water stops them turning brown). Repeat with all the potatoes, cutting any large ones into 4 so they are all about the same size. Add a good pinch of salt to the pan, put it onto the hob and cover with a lid. Cook on a high heat to bring the water up to the boil. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and set the timer for 6 minutes. Put a colander in the sink and drain the potatoes. Shake them around in the colander to roughen up the edges – this will guarantee super crispy roast spuds – but don’t shake too much or they’ll break up.

Measure the oil into a large roasting tin and put into the hot oven on the top shelf for 3 minutes. Take the tin out. Stand well back and carefully tip the potatoes from the colander into the hot fat. Use a spoon to spread them out, then sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 30 minutes, then carefully turn them over using a spatula and cook for 30 minutes more, or until crisp and golden.