Main crop potatoes are available in the UK from August to March. There are lots of varieties for all sorts of uses. Desiree, King Edward and Maris Piper varieties are all good for roasting and are widely available but look out for other less common ones too. Parsnips can be roasted in the same way.
You will need at least 1 large potato for each person
Salt flakes
Olive oil
Heat the oven to 200c and oil a baking tray with some of the oil.
Peel and wash the potatoes (and cut them into medium-sized chunks.
Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Add a little salt to the water.
Bring the potatoes to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
Use the saucepan lid to drain the potatoes and then shake the pan to roughen them a little.
This helps to get them crunchy and golden on the outside
Put them on the prepared baking sheet and, when the steam has stopped rising, sprinkle each potato with olive oil and a few salt flakes.
Roast them in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. They should be golden and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
Eat them as soon as possible after roasting.
