We’re sure you’ll agree that Sunday lunch would be nothing without roast potatoes – and almost everyone has an opinion on how to make the perfect roastie.
Well, now, scientists think they’ve finally settled this heated debate once and for all by working out a mathematic formula for cooking the ultimate roast potato…
Yep, students from Edge Hotel School at the University of Essex collaborated with pupils from Bedfordshire’s Samuel Whitbread School to develop the formula, which they’ve named the ‘Edge Hotel School Method’, the Independent reports.
And they say the secret for getting perfect roasties lies in maximising the surface area of each potato by chopping them in a very specific way…
The team found that increasing each potato’s surface area by 65% will make the resulting roasties crispier and more delicious. To do this, they say you should cut your potatoes lengthwise, before chopping each half again at a slight angle to create a point of approximately 30 degrees.
This, they believe, makes the most of each potato’s surface area for optimum crispiness.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: this all sounds a bit fiddly to try at home, but who are we to argue with science?
And, according to the results of a taste test the team carried out with professional chefs and members of the public afterwards, it sounds like all that effort could be worth it, as the roasties reportedly proved a resounding success.
(The team cooked their perfectly formed spuds with chef Heston Blumenthal’s recipe, in case you were wondering).
Anyway, we don’t know about you, but we’re definitely going to pay a little more attention while we chop the spuds this weekend!
