Crunchy polenta roasties Juliet Sear

• 9 large potatoes (about 1¼kg), peeled and cut into large chunks

  Potato

  po-tate-oh

  The world's favourite root vegetable, the potato comes in innumerable varieties. A member of…

• about 200ml olive oil

  Olive oil

  ol-iv oyl

  Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…

• 1-2 tbsp dried polenta

  Polenta

  poh-len-tah

  An Italian storecupboard staple, polenta has its roots in the peasant cuisine of northern Italy…

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour a good glug of oil in a large roasting tin and put in the oven. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle. Bring to the boil and cook for 7-8 mins.

2. Drain the potatoes, then toss them in the polenta to help them dry out and get a fluffy coating. Carefully tip the potatoes into the hot roasting tin, drizzle over a little more oil and toss to coat.

3. Roast for 30 mins, then turn them over and roast for 30 mins. Turn once more and cook for a further 10 mins. These can go on the lower shelf while you make an accompanying dish (such as our veggie toad-in-the-hole), and can cook for a further 15-20 mins if required.