The Secret Ingredient in These Roast Potatoes Will Give This Thanksgiving Essential the Edge This Year – They're the Best We've Ever Tried

Perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a zesty twist, Clodagh McKenna's roast potatoes will have your guests coming back for more

Bowl of crispy roast potatoes
(Image credit: Future / Chris Terry)

Whatever your own traditions, it's just not Thanksgiving without an abundance of the crispiest roast potatoes, covered in lashings of gravy. If you're looking for a clever twist that will really help this essential element of your Thanksgiving menu to stand out from the crowd.

Orange and Thyme Roasted Potatoes

Bowl of roast potatoes

(Image credit: Future / Chris Terry)

Ingredients (Serves 8)

  • 4lbs potatoes (such as Russet)
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 tablespoons goose fat
  • 3 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (Gas Mark 6).
  • Cut the potatoes in half – or into quarters if they’re very large – so they’re all roughly the same size.
  • Place them in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes. Drain.
  • Use a vegetable peeler (we like the OXO Good Grips Swivel Vegetable Peeler from Amazon) to remove long strips of peel from the two oranges.
  • Place the goose fat in one of the best roasting pans and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
  • When the fat is hot, stir in the orange peel, chopped thyme, and garlic cloves.
  • Add the potatoes to the pan and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat in the hot fat.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 30 minutes, basting the potatoes with the goose fat every 10 minutes while they cook (our Cookery Editor recommends the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Spoon).

Of course, the star of the show will always be the turkey, and Clodagh's recipe for a mulled marmalade glazed turkey is the perfect centerpiece for your roast potatoes to accompany. Plus, the orange zest will complement the marmalade in the glaze beautifully.

Clodagh McKenna

Chef, TV presenter and award-winning cookbook author Clodagh McKenna lives at Broadspear. She has been lovingly bringing the property back to life with her partner Harry for the past two years.

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