5 Top Tips on ‘How to Perfect Jersey Royals’

Rosie Fieldhouse

Rosie Fieldhouse

1st March 2019
Rosie Fieldhouse

5 Top Tips on ‘How to Perfect Jersey Royals’

If anyone knows their Jersey Royals from their Maris Pipers its Steve Smith, Head Chef at Michelin-starred Bohemia.

Below, Steve shares his top tips for how to cook the perfect potatoes this season.

In December 2018 Bohemia Restaurant was listed in the ‘Top 1000 Restaurants in the World’ on the prestigious ‘La Liste 2019’. Joining the Top 1000 list follows another successful year for Bohemia achieving a ranking as the 14th best restaurant in the UK in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2019; retaining its coveted Michelin star for the fourteenth year; 5AA rosettes for the second year (the only restaurant in the Channel Islands to receive this accolade).

Ingredients

  • ...

Method

Fresh is best
Cooking with fresh Jersey Royals may seem like stating the obvious, but it has such a huge impact on the final taste. We are lucky at Bohemia that we can locally source them so they are always at their very best. At home, avoid any potatoes that have gone soft or green.
Avoid the fridge
It is a common misconception that if you want food to last longer you should keep it in the fridge. Wrong! When it comes to Jersey Royals you should store them in a cool, dark place as putting them in the fridge turns the starch to sugar, making them lose much of their signature flavour.
Save the skin
Simply wash off the excess dirt from the potatoes rather than peeling or scraping them. This removes any unwanted bits without wasting a good source of fibre and texture.
Boiling point
When boiling or part-boiling the Jersey Royals place them in cold, salty water and allow the water to gradually reach boiling point. You can add a bit of mint or dill to the water for flavour when cooking. Once the water has come to the boil and is simmering, the potatoes should take around 10 minutes. You can tell when they are ready by stabbing them with a knife. Leave them to cool in the water.
Nice and crispy
If you are roasting your potatoes then you want them to be as crispy as possible. In order to do so, get a potato masher to crush the cooked potatoes to increase the surface area so that the heat gets into every crevice. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh thyme and Maldon salt then roast the Jersey Royals at around 200°C.Fresh is best

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.