Simple Oven Hack Will Give You The Perfect Crispy Potatoes

Let's face it, roast potatoes are the best part of any roast - or Christmas dinner - and we won't hear another word about it. But, they have to be crispy.

Now, a professional chef has revealed the ultimate trick to getting your roast potatoes crispier than ever - and it's so simple.

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Chatting to Tyla about how to prepare the best Christmas dinner, Lee Scott, Executive Chef at Cambridge Country Club explained an easy way to make sure your roasties have that perfect crunch.

"Having an empty oven for both roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings is key so the oven temperature stays consistent," he tells us.

"It's all down to the oven temperature – if you have other items in the oven, especially with moisture (for example vegetables) - it drops the temperature and it doesn’t regulate properly so there's potential to not crisp!"

Ultimately, the less you have in the oven, the hotter it will be, and the crispier your potatoes will become.

But when you've got an entire dinner to make, how is it possible to have a totally empty oven? Well, Lee explains preparation is key - and you can start on Christmas Eve.

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"Roast the meat overnight to create an empty oven for crispy roast potatoes and fluffy Yorkshire puddings," he says.

And it's not the only trick we've got up our sleeves to impress on the big day.

Alan Lucas, chef and owner of The Holcombe, shared his top tip for the ultimate roast potato - and it's a time saver, too.

“Another tip is to parboil potatoes on Christmas Eve, leave to drain on a clean towel towel and cover with another clean tea towel once cooled," he says.

"On Christmas day put the potatoes into the roasting dish and give them a really food shake so the outside gets slightly crumbly which will make the outside lovely and crispy when you roast them."

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And if you're desperate to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time drinking prosecco on the big day, there's a few time saving tips you can try too.

Jimmy Sherwin, head chef at Frasers in Egerton, Kent, explained prepping your food beforehand - and choosing your starter and dessert wisely - can be a big help in the kitchen.

"Start on Christmas Eve, go through every vegetable you’ve got and make sure it’s peeled and chopped accordingly. So when you get up in the morning, you know exactly what you’re dealing with," says Jimmy.

"I’m a prawn cocktail person, which is really easy to make. Or any soup or terrine or pate is simple too. I’d have the prawns ready to go and the sauce made so all you’re doing on the day is assembling."

Jimmy also provided what is probably our favourite tip: "If it gets too stressful, open the back door, stand outside for five minutes and remember it’s just a posh roast dinner."

Merry Christmas guys!

Topics: Food and Drink, Christmas

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot.

@lucedevine