Four ingredients, and the crispy edges come from two steps that cost you nothing.
The first is the bicarbonate of soda, which goes into the cold water with the potatoes before it comes to the boil. It softens the outside of the potato so it breaks down into a rough, starchy surface. The second is shaking the pot after you drain them, which roughs those edges up even further.
That rough surface is what goes crisp in the oven. Without it you get a smooth roast potato, which is fine, but it isn’t the same thing.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s four ingredients and three of them are potatoes, salt and oil. There’s no special technique and nothing to buy. It goes with almost any dinner, from a roast to a couple of snags. It suits a crowd, because you just scale the tray up. And it’s the cheapest side on the table.
Handy Tips
Don’t overboil them, they should be tender but still holding together, because anything softer falls apart when you shake the pot. Shake them properly once drained, that rough fluffy outside is the whole point. Let the oven come all the way up to 220°C before the tray goes in, not most of the way. Give them plenty of room on the tray rather than piling them up, since crowded potatoes steam instead of crisping. And turn them halfway so they brown on more than one side.
What To Serve With It
A roast chicken or a roast lamb is the obvious one, but these hold their own next to sausages, steak, or a big salad. They also make a good base for loaded potatoes if you’ve got leftovers to use up.
How to Store It
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They go soft in the fridge and there’s no way around that, but a few minutes back in a hot oven or an air fryer brings most of the crunch back. The microwave will warm them but won’t crisp them.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
If you like this one, here are a few more worth a go:
Roasted Potatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time
45 minutes 
Total Time 1 hour 
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep the Potatoes: Add your potatoes, bicarbonate of soda, and a big pinch of salt to a pot. Fill it with cold water and place it on the stove.
- Boil: Cook the potatoes until they’re tender but not too soft. Be careful not to overcook them—you don’t want them falling apart in the next step!
- Drain and Fluff: Once cooked, drain the potatoes and shake them up in the pot to rough up the edges. This will create that fluffy exterior we all crave.
- Roast: Smother your potatoes in olive oil and more salt, then pop them into a hot oven at 220°C (430°F). Roast until golden brown, tossing them halfway through for even browning. Mine took about 35 minutes.
Nutrition
Video
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FAQs
What does the bicarbonate of soda actually do?
It makes the water slightly alkaline, which breaks down the outside of the potato as it boils. That gives you a rough, starchy surface, and that surface is what crisps up in the oven.
What potatoes should I use?
Use what you’ve got. A floury potato like a sebago or a desiree gives you a fluffier inside than a waxy one, but any of them crisp up this way.
Why aren’t mine crisping?
Usually one of three things. The oven wasn’t hot enough, the tray was too crowded so they steamed, or they weren’t shaken enough after draining and the outside is still smooth.
Do I have to peel them?
Yes, peeled and quartered before they go in the pot. The whole method works on roughing up the outside of the potato, and you need the potato itself exposed for that.
Can I peel them ahead?
Yes. Keep the peeled, quartered potatoes in cold water in the fridge so they don’t go brown, then drain them and start the recipe from the top when you’re ready.
I loved the crunch… I love spuds❤️ Golden crunchy, fluffy on inside DELISH with gravy or Tomato relish
I made these tonight with Desiree spuds. Turned out amazing. My new goto for roast potatoes.