King Charles' Go-To Method For The Best Roast Potatoes
One wouldn't necessarily expect the humble potato to be the topic of conversation for His Majesty King Charles III, but one would be incorrect. We know that King Charles has definite food preferences — for example, he doesn't enjoy eating chocolate and foie gras is verboten in the royal kitchen. His Majesty also prefers tea to coffee, and he loves having mushrooms in his meals. However, given the late Queen Elizabeth II's disdain for potatoes, it's perhaps unexpected that King Charles would not just comment publicly on cooking potatoes, but even offer up his preferred method for cooking them.
The Queen famously banned potatoes, along with other carb-heavy foods from the royal dinner table. Express reported that Darren McGrady, former royal chef at Buckingham Palace, shared the inside scoop on preparing food for the Queen and her family. She didn't really approve of carbohydrates, and her preferences dictated what was served, so the rule was "no potatoes, rice or pasta for dinner." Though the Queen may have been particular about potatoes, her son doesn't appear to share the same scorn for spuds.
King Charles prefers a traditional approach to roasted potatoes
The Mirror shared an account of King Charles' visit to the headquarters of supermarket chain Morrisons in Yorkshire, where, inspired by the delectable aroma of a rib of beef, the monarch said the best way to roast potatoes is in the fat from the meat you're roasting. He eschews adding duck or goose fat, as well as cooking oil, opting instead for the flavorful drippings of the meat itself. Rebecca English, the royal editor for the Daily Mail, tweeted the encounter, and one commenter agreed with the King's cooking method, replying, "His Majesty is absolutely spot on! Nothing better than a beef dripping roast potato."
On his visit to Morrisons, King Charles also spoke with farmers and staff involved with the company's sustainability efforts. He addressed the staff, saying, "Thank you for your wonderful efforts. I hope they let you off at Christmas," to which the employees responded with a cheer. Perhaps we'll add the King's technique to our potato practices, along with allowing potatoes to roast without excessive agitation and adding a bit of baking soda to the cooking water when they're parboiled before roasting.