Chef shares ‘roast potato mistake’ we all make that stops them getting crispy

As cheer fills the air, a flawless festive feast becomes the focus, and no dish holds the spotlight quite like the beloved .

Marc Williams, an acclaimed cookery school director at The Grand in , has identified the vital misstep many budding cooks make that could lead to lacklustre spuds.

According to Mr Williams, it’s all about patience after parboiling; many are too quick to rush their potatoes from pot to pan, hindering the achievement of that desired .

He instructs: “To get the perfect potatoes, peel them, add them to cold water and bring them to a boil. Boil for around six minutes until the edges soften. Then, strain them and wait until the steam stops. You’ll never get a crisp result if they are full of water.”

When it comes to the final stages of preparing your roasties, he recommends attentive seasoning and choosing your fats wisely to nail the texture.

Marc shares his expert advice, saying: “Preheat your chosen fat in a hot oven – duck fat is my choice! Don’t forget to season the potatoes and then carefully add and baste them in the duck fat.

“Roast for around twenty minutes in a hot oven before turning them over; this allows a crust to form underneath, so you won’t leave half the potato stuck to the tray.”

The culinary expert offered some daring advice for those determined to mix up their festive cooking rituals, sharing: “And if you’re feeling a little adventurous this year, you could even ditch the oven altogether and opt to use an air fryer instead.

“The air fryer can be used for potatoes as well parsnips and can help free up space in your oven,” reports the Mirror.

Heaping praise on the convenience of the trendy kitchen appliance, the chef said: “They are fantastic for roast potatoes and cut down cooking times drastically. The air fryers with two sections are great for cooking at different temperatures. Try honey-glazed parsnips on one side at 180C and roast potatoes on the other at 200C.”

To simplify the often hectic Christmas dinner preparations, Marc recommended roasting potatoes early and reheating them later, explaining: “Roast potatoes are done in the morning and heated back through.”

He concluded his guidance with tips on getting ready for the big meal: “Make a prep list of roughly how you’d like to plan the day and do everything you can in advance. Most of the things I make the day before and just heat back through. The turkey should be resting for 30 minutes at least so you have plenty of time to get things back through the oven.”