Mary Berry’s 12p Secret Ingredient for Extra Crunchy Roast Potatoes

Mary Berry’s roast potato recipe relies on a surprisingly affordable pantry staple to achieve an extra crunchy coating, according to food and lifestyle reporting. The veteran cook and television presenter uses semolina, which typically costs around 12p per portion, to elevate the texture of standard roasted spuds.

The technique focuses on the prep work before the potatoes ever touch the hot oil in the roasting tin. After parboiling the potatoes for a few minutes, cooks are instructed to drain them thoroughly and rough up the edges inside the saucepan. Dusting the parboiled spuds with a light coating of semolina creates a dry barrier that crisps up fiercely in the oven.

Semolina is a coarse flour milled from durum wheat, commonly used in pasta making and bread dusting. Because of its granular texture, it absorbs less fat than standard plain flour while providing a significantly crunchier crust once baked. Culinary guides note that this simple addition prevents the potatoes from becoming soggy on the bottom.

Home cooks attempting the method can substitute semolina into their usual fat of choice, whether using traditional duck fat, goose fat, or vegetable oil. The technique has gained renewed traction as home cooks look for budget-friendly kitchen hacks to upgrade standard weeknight dinners and holiday roasts alike.