Many chefs agree the greater the surface area and the edges of a potato, the better the taste. And to maximize that surface area, it’s all down to how the potato is cut. Apparently, up until now, we’ve all been getting it wrong.
Students form the University of Essex (Edge Hotel School) have collaborated with the popular Samuel Whitbread School in Bedfordshire and found a mathematical formula that increases a potato’s surface area by a whopping 65%.
Sounds too good to be true? Well, not only is true, but it’s ridiculously easy to make. Here’s how to have delicious roasted potatoes every single time: (the article continues after the ad)
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO
Most people will cut the potatoes crosswise and then cut them again in half, creating four roughly equal quarters. This, in a 5cm x 11.5cm potato, results in a total internal surface are of 26π:
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Instead, what you should do is cut the potatoes lengthwise and then cut again each half lengthwise at a 30-degree angle. This results in bigger surface area (for a 5.5cm x 12cm potato, it’s 52.9π), more edges hence crispier and tastier potatoes. The image includes the formula for all of you math geeks out there:
Here’s the official video from Edge Hotel School explaining the method:
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Photo: Edge Hotel School / YouTube
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
Sources: Essex students find the formula for perfect roasties