Yvonne's perfect springtime roast potatoes

Two white ceramic bowls of Yvonne's golden-brown roast potatoes, scattered with green herbs. The bowls are sitting on a wicker mat on a wooden board, with a blue and orange napkin at the side. A small blue dish contains a serving of dark green rosemary and garlic butter. A bulb of garlic and some sprigs of rosemary are scattered around the edges.

On 27th March, Yvonne Cobb joined us in the studio to show off the perfect roast potatoes with fluffy insides and crispy outsides, along with a rosemary and garlic butter dressing for a burst of spring flavour.

Ingredients

4 servings (approx.)

  • 1kg potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward)

  • 1-2 tsp semolina

  • 3 tbsp veg oil

For the rosemary and garlic butter:

  • 25g butter

  • 4 cloves garlic (crushed)

  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Method

  1. Peel the potatoes (leaving the skin on if you prefer!) and cut into pieces slightly larger than a golf ball (about 5cm across).

  2. Starting with cold water in the pan, parboil the potatoes for about 8 minutes, until they are soft at the edges. Use a sharp, thin knife to test the firmness; if it glides through, then the potatoes are ready.

  3. Take the pan off the heat and drain the potatoes. Putting the lid back on the pan, shake the potatoes around inside it to rough up the edges. Then sprinkle the semolina over them and toss to get them well-covered.

  4. Meanwhile, pre-heat the roasting tin to 220c on the middle shelf of the oven. Once hot, add the vegetable oil, and heat in the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the oil is piping hot.

  5. Add the potatoes to the tin (taking care not to overcrowd the tray) and turn them over in the fat until coated. Roast for about 40-45 minutes, turning over halfway through, until golden brown and crisp.

For the rosemary and garlic butter:

  1. Rub the rosemary in the palm of your hand to bruise it.

  2. Melt the butter in the pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, not letting them burn.

  3. Pour the finished butter on the finished potatoes – or drizzle it over them in the oven 10 minutes before they are done roasting.

  4. Alternatively: add the crushed cloves and bruised rosemary to the potatoes in the roasting tin for the last 20-25 minutes of roasting.