ROAST POTATOES
These are the most important part of the festive lunch in my house. I like to cook them on Christmas morning and reheat them to serve so I know I’ve got them just right. An air fryer is very helpful for reheating them.
PREP COOK
15 MINUTES
1 HOUR 20 MINUTES (OVEN) OR 45 MINUTES (AIR FRYER)
70c
COST
H 1.5kg king edward potatoes, peeled
H about 150ml olive oil
1 Cut the potatoes into
5cm chunks, putting into a large bowl of cold water as you go. You can leave them in the water for up to 2 hours.
2 Drain the potatoes then put in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, adding a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until they are soft at the edges but still holding their shape.
3 Drain using a colander and shake gently to rough up the edges. Spoon on to a tray, separating the potatoes, and allow to cool and dry out a little. You can leave them like this for up to 2 hours (or even in the fridge overnight if you have space). 4 To roast the potatoes before you cook the beef, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the oil into a large roasting tray and heat for 10 minutes until piping hot. Carefully add the potatoes to the tray, turning them in the hot oil. Season with flaky sea salt and roast, turning them every 20 minutes, for about 1 hour or until golden and crisp. Spoon into a bowl lined with kitchen paper to soak up the extra oil. 5 To air-fry the potatoes, you’ll need a large air fryer with a 9-litre capacity. Carefully drizzle or spray the potatoes with about 6 tbsp oil, trying to coat them as evenly as possible. Season with flaky salt. Place in the air-fryer drawer(s) with the crisper plate(s) inserted, leaving a little space between each potato. Air-fry at 190C for 35 minutes, turning them halfway. You may want to spray or drizzle them with a little oil halfway if they look a bit dry.
6 Whichever method you choose to cook the potatoes, you can make them up to 2 hours in advance. To reheat, return to the oven on a clean tray for 10 minutes while the beef rests. Or put in an air-fryer drawer
(you can pile them all up, no need to space them out) and cook at 190C for 5 minutes, tossing them gently halfway.