Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pour the oil into a metal or cast iron baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and set the oven temperature as high as it will go (around 250C/480F fan forced).
- Boil a large pot of water. Peel and cut the potatoes into large pieces, about 6cm/2.2 inches wide.
- Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain them, then return the potatoes to the pot.
- Scatter the semolina and salt over the potatoes. Clamp the lid on the pot and shake it 5 times to rough up the potatoes. Leave the lid on and set the pot aside.
- Test the oil in the oven by tossing in a pinch of potato. It should sizzle immediately, indicating the oil is hot enough.
- Carefully pour the potatoes into the hot oil, watching for splashing. Use an egg flip to quickly toss the potatoes in the oil, spread them out, and place the pan back into the oven.
- Turn the oven down to 220C/425F. Roast for about 50 minutes, up to 1 hour 15 minutes, turning them once during baking. They are done when they are golden brown with some browned edges and are crunchy.
- Serve the potatoes immediately for the best crunch.
Notes
The high smoke point of the oil helps create a crunchy crust when the potatoes meet the hot oil.
Use a potato with high starch content so the inside becomes fluffy and the outside forms a crust.
The roasting time varies based on your oven strength, oil temperature, and the pan used.
These potatoes will be crunchy when they reach a golden brown color with only some browned edges; they do not roast to a very dark brown.