1 day Ago By Sydney Evans
No Easter Sunday is complete without a roast dinner and a side of golden potatoes, but perfecting them can be quite the process of trial and error, and everyone has their own way of doing them. Goose fat is non-negotiable for some, while others skip this entirely, and although traditionally cooked in the oven, you can even get crispy roast potatoes in the air fryer . I prefer my roast potatoes to be marinated in a bunch of herbs before going in the oven, especially rosemary and thyme, because I feel like these pair really well with meat.
But I’d never heard of using harissa on roast potatoes before, so when I saw Ottolenghi’s recipe for harissa and confit garlic roasted potatoes, I was desperate to try it. It’s a little bit more fiddly than your standard roast potato recipe , but it’s seriously worth it for the added smokiness of the harissa and subtle hints of garlic that come from roasting them in goose fat to start. It’s important to use rose harissa, as this is less spicy than traditional harissa paste.
I’d never used semolina flour for roast potatoes either, but the recipe also calls for this, and I’ve now realised that this is the secret to getting them extra golden and crispy. They were so tasty that I could have easily finished a plate of potatoes alone, and I’ll probably stick to using semolina flour for my roast potatoes. Semolina flour is also far more healthy than standard white flour, because it contains protein, fibre and nutrients like iron.
Although it wasn’t difficult, making the confit felt like a lot of extra work, and I’d probably skip this in the future. But for a special occasion like Easter Sunday, this is such a tasty spin on a traditional recipe . I didn’t have all of the ingredients, and it took a bit of extra time to track down some semolina flour.
Some ingredients are easily swapped out, and I used fennel seeds instead of caraway seeds, but you will want to stick to most of them, so this is one to prepare for at least a day before. The recipe makes enough for six to eight people, and the confit can be done up to two days in advance, meaning you just have to heat this up on the day when you’re ready to cook your potatoes. Ingredients Two large peeled garlic cloves Four rosemary sprigs (I used half a tablespoon from a jar of rosemary) Six thyme sprigs (I used a tablespoon from a jar of thyme) 40g ground semolina Two tsp caraway seeds (fennel or cumin seeds will work as an alternative) Two tsp rose harissa 130g goose or duck fat 2kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm chunks Method Preheat the oven to 150C fan.
Place your peeled garlic cloves in a small ovenproof pan that has a lid, along with the goose fat and herbs. Cover and bake for 40 minutes or until the garlic cloves are soft and caramelised. While this is baking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Add your chopped potatoes and parboil for around five to 10 minutes. Drain well and shake the potatoes around to fluff up the edges. Leave them to sit for 10 minutes.
Once the garlic is done, remove it from the oven and strain the goose fat into a large heatproof bowl, or the dish that you’re going to be using to cook the potatoes in. Keep the garlic and herbs on the side. After your potatoes are done sitting, place them into the bowl or tray with goose fat along with the semolina flour, caraway seeds (or an alternative), harissa and some flaked salt.
Mix well and place in the oven in the tray. Ottelenghi’s recipe advises using parchment paper under the tray, but I skipped this. Bake your potatoes for 45 minutes, until they’re golden-brown, making sure to turn them once or twice throughout.
After 45 minutes, add the leftover garlic and herbs and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes. Once done, sprinkle with salt and serve..
