I never peel a roastie, because boiling potatoes with their skins on, then cracking them open, gives you the best of both worlds: fluffy insides and golden, craggy edges. Especially when you finish roasting them in a glaze made with butter (or, even better, saved chicken, pork, beef or goose fat) and the last scrapings from a Marmite jar.
Marmite roast potatoes
I’ve always been fanatical about Marmite, so much so that I refuse to waste a single scoop. I used to wrestle with a butter knife, scraping endlessly at the jar’s sticky bottom, until I learned that there’s a reason the rounded pot has a small flat spot on each side. When you get close to the end of the jar, store the pot on its side, so the last of that black gold inside pools neatly into the side for easy removal. Those stubborn dregs work brilliantly in this recipe, and transform your roast spuds into the most flavour-packed ones you’ll ever eat. But go easy: Marmite is potent stuff, and even the last few scrapings will go a long way.
Serves 4
4 tbsp olive oil
800g potatoes
About 2 tbsp Marmite – top up the last scrapings of a jar as required
25g butter, or saved meat fat (chicken, pork, beef or goose fat)
Sea salt, to taste
Chives, finely chopped, to finish
Soured cream (optional)
Put the oil into a roasting tray, then put it in a 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½ oven to heat up. Cut the potatoes into 5cm-7½cm chunks, leaving them unpeeled. Put the spuds in a large pan, cover with cold water, add a good pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil, covered, ideally, to save energy. Simmer for about eight minutes, until fork-tender, then drain and leave to steam in the colander for a few minutes.
Toss the potatoes to rough up their edges, then carefully tip into the hot oil and toss again to coat. Squash each potato slightly with the back of a spoon, but only just enough so they split open, then return the tray to the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until the potatoes turn golden and start to crisp up.
Meanwhile, stand a nearly empty Marmite jar in a saucepan filled with a little hot water and simmer gently to loosen the contents of the jar (you’ll need about two tablespoons in total, so top up if need be). Add the butter (or saved fat) to the jar, leave to melt, then scrape down the insides of the jar and stir to combine the Marmite with the butter or fat.
Once completely melted and loose, drizzle the Marmite glaze all over the potatoes, toss gently, then return to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes, until deeply crisp and caramelised. Finish with optional finely chopped chives and serve with soured cream, if you like.
