Roast potatoes will be perfectly crispy if you add 1 ingredient to boiling water

Roast potatoes are a staple of a traditional roast dinner. We Brits absolutely love roast potatoes, and there's some controversy over what recipe you need to follow to achieve that perfect crispy outer while maintaining a fluffy interior.

You might have grown up learning that potatoes should only ever be cooked in a particular kind of fat, or you may be adamant that how they're transferred from boiling to roasting makes all the difference.

The truth is, there are many different ways to roast a potato, and if your chosen method results in spuds that taste great, then you're not doing anything wrong.

But if you're looking for a way to guarantee crispy potatoes every time, one cooking fan on social media might just have the perfect hack. All you need to do is add one ingredient to the water at the boiling stage.

In an Instagram video, Oryan Levi shared her secret trick for perfect roast potatoes. She said her friends often ask her for the recipe, and she achieves her perfect crisp by adding a common kitchen cupboard staple to her boiling water.

Oryan started by stating she was using baby potatoes instead of larger ones, and she cut them in half but kept the skins on. This hack may still work with regular potatoes commonly used for roasting, but the secret ingredient is designed to crisp up the skins so may not be as effective on peeled potatoes.

She then added them all to a pot and poured in some water, along with the secret ingredient - baking soda. She said: "A tablespoon of baking soda in the water is going to help make the skin super crispy."

Oryan then continued to cook the potatoes as you normally would, taking them out of the water once they were "fork tender". After tipping them into a colander, she said the "most important part of the process" was allowing them to sit in the colander for at least 10 minutes to allow all the excess water to evaporate.

Next, Oryan seasoned the potatoes with garlic, salt, pepper, and oil, before tipping them onto a baking tray. She then turned every potato so they were cut side down and put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 220°C - leaving her with a perfectly cooked and crispy potato.

In her post's caption, she wrote: "My biggest tip with this recipe is to get to know your oven well. Does it run hot? Are there hot spots where food tends to get extra crispy? There's a delicate balance between perfectly golden and too far gone. The first time you make this, keep a close eye and check on your taters often to make sure they don't burn!"

Tips for perfectly crispy roast potatoes

1. Choose the right potato:
Go for starchy potatoes like Russets or Maris Piper. They crisp up better than waxy varieties.

2. Cut evenly:
Cut your potatoes into similar-sized chunks so they cook evenly. Larger chunks give a fluffy inside; smaller ones get crispier.

3. Parboil First:
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 7-10 minutes until just tender (they should be soft on the outside but not falling apart). This helps create a fluffy exterior.

4. Rough them up:
Drain the potatoes and give them a good shake in the colander or pan to rough up the edges. These rough bits become extra crispy.

5. Preheat the fat:
While the potatoes are parboiling, preheat your roasting pan with oil or fat (vegetable oil, duck/goose fat, or beef dripping) in a hot oven (220°C/425°F). Adding potatoes to hot fat ensures instant sizzle and crispiness.

6. Don't crowd the pan:
Spread the potatoes out in a single layer with space between them. Overcrowding steams them instead of roasting.

7. Season well:
Toss with salt, pepper, and any desired herbs (rosemary, thyme, garlic cloves) before roasting.

8. Roast and turn:
Roast for 40-50 minutes, turning once or twice for even browning. Don't turn too often - let them crisp up!

9. Finish with a sprinkle:
For extra crunch, sprinkle with a little coarse salt or a dusting of semolina/flour before roasting.

10. Serve immediately:
Crispy potatoes are best served right out of the oven!