Have you struggled for years to make crispy roast potatoes to accompany that most traditional of English meals – Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding?

After much experimentation and adapting a few tips from Britain’s foremost TV cooking guru Delia Smith, I have found that the secret lies in first heating the oil to a sufficiently high temperature and using extra seasonings to ensure a crisp, tasty coat.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 2 large potatoes
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic
• Dried rosemary
• Salt
• Cooking oil

Method:

Want to get amazingly crispy roasted potatoes every time? Just follow these simple steps:

1. Par boil the potatoes until relatively soft and then drain them into a colander and leave them to rest for a few minutes in order to cool
2. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Place a dish with cooking oil inside for about 5 minutes with enough oil to generously cover the bottom but not too deep as to saturate the potatoes when you put them in. It is important for the oil to get really hot but be careful not to leave it in too long!
3. Whilst the oil is heating up, take a fork and “rough up” the outside of the potatoes. This gives it a crinkly texture and aids crispiness when they are cooking.
4. If you like garlic, chop up 2 or 3 cloves of garlic to sprinkle over them once in the pan to give them more flavour
5. Remove the hot oil from the oven and carefully spoon the potatoes into the pan. The oil should spit and bubble as you put it in.
6. Shuffle the potatoes around to ensure they are completely covered with the hot oil
7. Sprinkle a generous helping of salt over the potatoes – this makes the outsides dry and crisp. For that gourmet restaurant taste, sprinkle rosemary powder and garlic on the outsides. You won’t believe the difference it makes!
8. After cooking for approximately 30 minutes, turn over the potatoes and season the other side in the same way – more salt, garlic and rosemary. Cook for approximately 30 more minutes, until the potatoes are brown and crisp. In about 1 hour you have perfect roast potatoes. Full of flavor and ready to eat.
9. Drain the potatoes in an open dish or basket lined with kitchen roll and then serve. Do not cover the potatoes whilst they are hot or they will go soggy very quickly.
10. Any left overs fry up beautifully the next day – perfect for an English or American breakfast!