Aussie songwriter Paul Kelly might’ve told us how to make gravy, but famous foodie Matt Preston has revealed how to craft the perfect roast potato.
The former MasterChef Australia star, 63, has lifted the lid on his best hacks for roasting the crispiest Christmas spuds, and one in particular is not for the faint of heart.
Speaking to Taste, Matt revealed that the first step toward potato perfection lay in the prep.
He said that it is important to cut the potatoes lager than you intend as they will lose water, and thus shrink, as they roast.
He revealed that the nest step was to parboil the spuds ‘so they just slip off the knife when you pierce them’, before letting them steam for as long as possible to evaporate excess moisture.
‘Put them back in the hot pan with the lid and shake,’ he said. ‘You’ll get more of the steam to come off. Because the drier the potato, the crispier they are.’
Matt Preston (pictured) has revealed how to craft the perfect roast potato
The former MasterChef star, 63, has lifted the lid on his best hacks for roasting the crispiest Christmas spuds, and one in particular is not for the faint of heart
The next step is roasting and Matt admits that his hack for crispy potatoes is ‘really dangerous and really hard,’ but worth it.
He said that you will need a high-sided pan a LOT of hot oil and nerves of steel.
‘Get a high-sided oven tray and pour a generous amount of oil in and get that oil really hot in the oven, and then do not take that hot tray of oil out of the oven,’ Matt said.
He added that the risky procedure was best approached as a two-person job and one that should not be attempted by kitchen novices.
‘Make sure you’re with one other person,’ he said.
‘One of you opens the oven and pulls the tray out a little bit, and the other one carefully puts the potatoes [one-by-one] into the hot oil and then shuts the oven door.’
Matt added that while risky, in this case the ends justify the carb-laden means.
‘It’s really dangerous but oh my goodness,’ he exclaimed.
Matt admitted to Taste that his hack for crispy potatoes is ‘really dangerous and really hard,’ but worth it
‘Get a high-sided oven tray and pour a generous amount of oil in and get that oil really hot in the oven, and then do not take that hot tray of oil out of the oven,’ Matt said
He added that the risky procedure was best approached as a two-person job and one that should not be attempted by kitchen novices
Matt recently opened up about losing his brother to epilepsy, revealing the loss has left a 35-year-long hole in his life.
Matt tragically lost his younger brother William aged 22 in 1988 to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
The little-known condition occurs when an otherwise healthy person with epilepsy dies suddenly – not from a seizure-related accident – with no reason for death being found.
Reflecting on the devastating loss, Matt said his brother William’s absence from his life is still felt on a daily basis.
‘The hurt is always there, it’s left a 35 year hole,’ he told the Herald Sun ahead of SUDEP Action Day on October 18.
‘You have moments, he’d be 58 now and there is a sense of void. We think our tragedies are personal but they are often shared.’
Matt, who has worked as an advocate for Epilepsy Action Australia, recalled his mother Jennifer’s heartbreaking experience upon finding William’s body.
‘She called an ambulance and the first time she realised he was dead was when they came in with big sheets that had a big blue sticker that said refrigerator,’ he shared.
He told how the devastating experience prompted Jennifer, who died in 2022, to become a passionate advocate for SUDEP Action.
‘She was incensed about how insensitively it was handled and she wanted to make sure there was support for the bereaved. A good way of remembering William is to talk about this,’ he said.
It is not the first time Matt has spoken publicly about his brother’s death, and previously admitted his family were unaware of the condition before William’s death.
‘Basically we had no idea. My folks had no idea. We had an idea that he was under that risk and then then he died,’ he told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie in 2023.