Christmas sides that make hosting a breeze

How to make perfect roast potatoes

The perfect roast potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside, and flawlessly seasoned. Follow these tips for spectacular Christmas spuds every time. 

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.Peel and chop brushed potatoes into 5cm chunks.
2. Parboil potatoes and drain well. Return potatoes to pan and shake over low heat to dry out and rough up sides, guaranteeing extra crunch. Toss in ¼ cup of plain flour or polenta.
3. Coat bottom of a large, shallow roasting pan with ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and preheat in oven for 5 minutes. Add potatoes to pan, carefully tossing in hot oil. Spread across two trays, to avoid overcrowding.
4. Season well with salt then roast, basting with oil every 15 minutes, for 50 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Tip: Add flavourings such as sliced garlic and rosemary leaves in the last 15 minutes of roasting so they don’t burn.

Tips for perfect roasted vegetables

1. Use enough oil so all vegetables are lightly coated and have a glossy shine.
2. Roasted vegetables need a hot oven. Generally, the ideal temperature is between 200°C to 220°C/180°C to 200°C fan-forced.
3. Keep vegetables roasting until the edges are golden brown – the crunchy, crispy bits are what make roasted veggies so delicious.
4. Roast in stages if cooking different vegetables: root and harder vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and pumpkin first, and softer vegetables, such as broccoli, zucchini or eggplant, second.
5. Reheat leftover roasted vegetables in a non-stick roasting pan to help retain a crisp edge. 200°C to 220°C fan-forced for about 15 minutes or until hot.
6. Turn leftover roasted vegetables into sandwich fillings, bubble and squeak or a frittata.