6 hours Ago By Angela Patrone
Those flawless roast potatoes at a Sunday dinner truly steal the show, but nothing's more of a letdown than when they emerge from the oven limp and lacklustre. According to food blogger Erika Kwee at Simply Recipes , the type of fat you use to cook roast potatoes is key. While most people typically use oil or goose fat to coat potatoes before roasting, she guarantees that there is another ingredient that will “make your roasted potatoes even better”.
She said: “Mayonnaise is an easy way to upgrade your roasted potatoes. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of eggs and oil with a little vinegar or lemon juice. Tossing your potatoes in mayo is similar to tossing your potatoes in oil with a little extra flavour.
“After roasting in a covering of seasoned mayo, your potatoes will come out extra crispy and special.” It also has protein and high-fat content, creating the perfect marinade that shields the potatoes from the high heat. Mayo has a higher smoke point than butter or oil, meaning you can cook it at a higher temperature without the risk of burning the outside before the inside is fully cooked.
Erika recommends using three tablespoons of mayo for each pound of potatoes you’re cooking. Before adding the mayo, make sure to parboil the potatoes, as this gives them an “extra-craggy texture” and will result in a shorter cooking time in the oven. Once parboiled and coated in mayonnaise, finish with salt and black pepper, then bake in a 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6 oven for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
For those who don't like the taste of mayonnaise, the food enthusiast assures that “you won’t taste the mayo once the potatoes are roasted.” Erika pointed out one difference: “The potatoes were a bit more oily looking than when I roast them with oil, but the excess is easy to drain off and you’ll be left with uber crispy potatoes with crisp skins and tender middles.” Since this is the agent that’s going to season and crisp your roasted potatoes, you must use a quality mayonnaise.
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