If, like most of the nation, you think roast potatoes are the best part of Christmas Dinner, you might want to sit down for this one.
We all have our own roasties traditions. What we prefer to cook them with, our methodology, the family secret to the crispiest roast potatoes which is whispered through generations of home cooks and our own treasured memories of a steaming tray of potatoes being carried out of the oven
However, according to one chef, we may want to switch out our oven for the air fryer when it comes to cooking our roasties this year.
How to make roast potatoes in the air fryer
According to chef Harrison Webb speaking in a recent TikTok video, his method will make the ‘perfect’ air fryer roast potatoes.
First, peel and evenly chop your potatoes and ensure that they have firm edges. Then, rinse them under cold water and drain them, add in a few sprigs of rosemary and salt into a pan with them before boiling them.
They should be cooked until they are soft enough to pierce with a knife and then drained and given a shake in a colander. Once that’s done, add in two tablespoons of goose fat or vegetable oil, coat the potatoes in the oil and then put them in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 190°C.
After 20 minutes, take them out, give them a shake and put them in for another 20 minutes. Finally, take them back out for one more shake, put them back in for another 15 and finally, you will have the perfect roast potatoes.
The benefits of cooking Christmas dinner in the air fryer
While it may seem a little daunting, Andrea Macaulay, who heads up the hospitality curriculum at Glasgow Kelvin College, says there are huge benefits to cooking your Christmas dinner in an air fryer.
She says: “Introducing an air fryer to your preparations for Christmas dinner – which is often the most expensive and stressful meal of the year – can be transformational. It reduces so much of the pressure, it’s much quicker and it will save you money. What’s more, the food you prepare is also healthier, using less oil in the process.
“I’d recommend ditching the oven, even if it’s just for a small part of the dinner. The air-fryer is often overlooked as people question its capability. But they’re powerful machines, and could lend a much-needed helping hand this Christmas.”
All the joy of roast potatoes but healthier and more affordable? Sold.