Potatoes are the most versatile foods – you can roast, fry, mash, bake or boil them.When it comes to roasting potatoes, there are a few different varieties available in Australia which are perfect; Dutch Cream, Desiree, Coliban or Sebago
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What is the best potato for roasting?
Dutch Cream, Desiree, Coliban and Sebago potatoes are all-purpose spuds which have a very rich flavour and a golden flesh.
They are superb for roasting because they are firm, moist and with a medium starch content.
Other types of potatoes are very starchy, including Russets. Fingerlings potatoes are super waxy, which makes these potatoes the perfect balance of both.
(Credit: Getty)Starch helps the potato to remain crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside. These varieties of potatoes have thinner skin, which means the heat from the pan or oven can get inside the potato more quickly and efficiently. They also have a decent amount of waxiness, enough to allow the potato to hold their shape and develop a tasty caramelisation on the outside too.In particular, Desiree potatoes are waxy oval spuds with yellow flesh, thin skin and a rich, buttery taste.In terms of size and shape, these potatoes are generally very consistent. This helps the potatoes roast at the same rate and ensure none are over-cooked or under-cooked. There are over 4,000 varieties of potatoes – including red, hasselback, dauphinoise, desiree, kipfler, purple sweet, sebago, dutch cream, coliban, golden delight, otway red and sweet potato. (Credit: Getty)Where can you buy Dutch Cream, Desiree, Coliban or Sebago?You can buy these popular varieties of potatoes almost everywhere. Any good grocery store in Australia sells them, including Coles and Woolworths. (Credit: Getty)How to roast the perfect potatoThe best way to roast a potato is with this method:1. Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced. 2. Peel and cut the potatoes into 5cm chunks and place into a large saucepan, before covering it with cold water.3. Bring the water to boil and reduce the heat to medium. 4. Simmer the potatoes for 5-10 minutes until partially cooked.5. Drain the potatoes and return to saucepan over low heat. 6. Pour oil into a large roasting pan and place roasting pan into oven until oil is hot. 7. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and use tongs to coat the potatoes in oil.8. Return the potatoes to the oven.
