Mary Berry’s roast potatoes are floury main crop potatoes, parboiled and roughed up, then roasted in a mix of smoking-hot goose fat and vegetable oil until crisp and golden. The inside stays soft and fluffy, the outside shatters. They serve six and take about 50 minutes at a hot 220C.
She lays out her method in Mary Berry Cooks (2014), and two choices set hers apart. She roasts in goose fat and vegetable oil together, using the oil for its high smoke point and the goose fat for flavour. For extra crunch she also sprinkles the potatoes with a little semolina before they go in.
The single most important thing, in Berry’s own words, is getting the fat piping hot before the potatoes touch it. She heats the fat in the tin until it’s smoking, so the starch caramelises the instant the potatoes hit it. Add them to fat that’s merely warm and they soak it up and turn soggy instead of crisp.
Mary Berry Roast Potatoes
Course: SidesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes40
minutes230
kcal55
minutesFrom Mary Berry Cooks (2014). Her ultimate roast potato method, built on a hot fat combination and floury potatoes, with make-ahead and freezer steps that make it a Christmas-dinner saver.
Ingredients
1-1.5kg (2.2-3lb) main crop potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tablespoons goose fat
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.
- Par-boil: Put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water. Bring up to the boil and boil for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften around the edges. Drain really well then put back into the saucepan and shake to roughen up the edges.
- Heat the fat: Put a roasting tin or tray in the oven to heat. Once hot, add the fats and heat for 5 minutes in the oven. Carefully add the potatoes and turn in the fat until coated.
- Roast: Roast for about 40-45 minutes, turning over halfway through the cooking time, until golden brown and crisp.
FAQs
What are the best potatoes for roasting?
Berry says to use main crop, floury potatoes such as King Edwards, Desiree or Maris Piper, and to check the bag says “good for roasting.” Floury varieties have the dry, fluffy flesh that crisps on the outside and stays soft inside. Avoid waxy salad potatoes like Charlotte or Anya, since they stay dense and never fluff up at the edges.
Goose fat or oil, and what can I use instead?
Berry likes both together: vegetable oil for its high smoke point so it won’t burn, and goose fat for flavour. If you don’t have goose fat, use all vegetable oil, or oil with a little butter, and you’ll still get a good result. Whatever you pick, the fat has to be smoking hot first, which ties back to that piping-hot rule from the intro.
Why par-boil and shake the potatoes first?
Par-boiling softens the outer layer so it can turn fluffy, while a firm middle keeps the shape. Shaking them in the dry pan roughens up all those edges, and it’s the rough surface that crisps into craggy, golden crunch. For an even crisper finish, Berry sprinkles a little semolina over them at this stage before they meet the fat.
Can I prepare or freeze roast potatoes ahead?
Yes, and this is Berry’s Christmas trick. You can peel them and leave them covered in cold water for a couple of hours, or roast them until pale golden, cool, and reheat the next day in a very hot oven. To freeze, roast in hot fat for just 10 minutes, cool completely, bag them up, then roast from frozen in very hot oil for about an hour.
How many roast potatoes per person?
Berry allows 2 to 6 chunks per person depending on appetites, and usually cuts each potato into quarters. The bigger rule is not to overcrowd the tin, because potatoes packed tight steam each other and stay pale. Give them room in a single layer so the hot fat can reach every side.
What should I serve roast potatoes with?
They’re the backbone of a Sunday roast, but they’re just as good beside a smart fish main like her salmon en croûte for a special lunch. Build the meal so nothing competes: keep the veg simple and finish with a proper pudding such as her vanilla cheesecake. That way the potatoes stay the thing everyone reaches for first.
