We thought we’d tried it all, here at GH towers, when it comes to pimping roast potatoes. Beef dripping, sage salt and duck fat, marmite (trust us!), miso butter... we’ve basted, sprinkled and generally levelled up the humble spud every way there was – or so we thought.
Then we saw it: Clotted cream roasties, popping up on the social feed of one of our favourite brands Cornish Sea Salt. Yes, potatoes cooked to golden-brown perfection in a heaping dollop of luxurious clotted cream. Once you think about it it’s not all that odd – good mash has a hefty dose of cream in it after all and the perfect roast potato should essentially be a fluffy mound of mash encased in a golden crunchy shell. The key to stop them being overwhelmingly rich is a dose of herby seasoning in the form of a hefty pinch of rosemary salt. The pungent, woody herb cuts through the richness and, of course, every potato needs a shot of salt to bring out its flavour.
We had to play around with the recipe a bit, as version one – cooked the way we would for roasties going into hot fat (boiled until the potatoes are super tender) – turned into a large tray of bubbling, creamy mash. Tasty, but not the end result we were after. Lesson learned: you want large potato chunks, only just cooked, and you need to handle them super gently.
The result? Easily the most luxurious roast potato we’ve ever tried. Not the crispiest, but golden brown, meltingly soft inside and incredibly more-ish. It’s a recipe that’s perfect for people who love the crispy bits at the bottom of the tray (and if that’s not you, then I suspect someone else is making the roasties and hiding it from you). Time to level up your Sunday lunch.
Rosemary Salt Clotted Cream Roast Potatoes
1.5kg floury potatoes
1 tub clotted cream (about 200g)
1-11/2tsp rosemary Cornish Sea Salt
1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Peel the potatoes and cut into large, even chunks. Put into a large pan (that has a lid) and cover with cold water. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat, uncover and simmer for 8-10min, until just tender. Don’t be tempted to overcook them or you’ll end up with mash!
2 Drain the potatoes well and leave to steam-dry in a colander for 5min. Return the potatoes to the empty pan and shake gently to rough up their edges. Add the clotted cream and rosemary salt and gently turn the potatoes until the cream has melted and coated the potatoes.
3 Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin, making sure they have plenty of space and aren’t touching. Roast for 45min, turning every 15min or so. Serves 4-6.
Emma is Cookery Editor for Good Housekeeping and loves nothing more than sharing her bottomless enthusiasm for all things food and drink with anyone who wants to learn (and even those who don’t!). From super simple one pan suppers to showstopping wedding cakes and everything in between, there’s very little that doesn’t come out of her kitchen. When not developing recipes, writing features or styling food for photography she can be found hiding behind the mountain of cookery books that’s slowly overtaking her house, or exploring restaurants, food shops and festivals in search of the next big thing to share with readers. On the rare days when she’s not thinking about food, you’ll find her in a cosy pub at the end of a long walk with her dog and expert food taster, Angua.
