I’m pretty obsessive about my roast potatoes. I follow Mary Berry’s advice (to add semolina to the parboiled spuds for added crunch), never cook them in olive oil, and let my boiled ’taters cool in the fridge overnight (it really helps). 

You’d think that would mean I’ve perfected the recipe, right? Well, after hearing from former royal chef Darren McGrady, I’m starting to wonder. 

Speaking to HuffPost UK after working with SmoothSpins, the expert shared his thoughts on everything from the potato he thinks is best (not my beloved Kerr’s Pinks) to the best cooking temperature and even the perfect salt to season them with.

And if that wasn’t helpful enough, he added instructions for timing it for a Christmas roast fit for royalty.

How does Darren McGrady make the best roast potatoes? 

1) Don’t crowd your oven

First of all, he doesn’t cook them at the same time as big, bulky items, which block the heat of your oven.

“They have to be cooked at a high temperature,” he explained.

“There’s no point having them ready to go in the oven [while] the turkey is still sitting in there, because it fills up the full oven.” 

2) Pick the perfect floury spuds

He added, “In terms of prep, you would peel your King Edwards and cut them into nice-sized chunks”.

These are the closest to Yukon Golds in the UK, “and that’s what we used at the palace”.

“Once you’ve cut them, you put them into a pan of cold water. Once your turkey is about 10/15 minutes [from being ready to take out]… You boil them and let them boil for about five minutes,” he explained.

“By that time, your turkey is ready, so take it out of the oven and let it rest – that’s important.” 

3) “Chuff” your potatoes

After that, McGrady advised increasing the temperature of the oven to 230 degrees Celsius, “which is high, but you need it”.

“Then you strain your potatoes off into a colander, shake them to fluff them up and rough the edges,” he said. 

This process, called “chuffing”, gives your potatoes more surface area, which crisps up as you cook.

4) Choose your oil carefully

Once parboiled and chuffed, “they then go into some hot oil,” McGrady shared. 

But he doesn’t think any old fat will do.

“I would recommend avocado oil; it’s got a high enough flash point to cook the potatoes,” he said. 

Apply this “liberally,” he advised, and “leave them in there while you’re getting everything put together – they’re going to take about 20 minutes, but halfway through, turn them over, give them a stir so the other sides get cooked”.