Nadiya Hussain Has A Foolproof Formula For Crunchy Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods out there, so there are a lot of different ways to cook them that leave you with an incredibly flavor-packed side dish. Eat them mashed with a dollop of butter, fried on a skillet, scalloped, boiled in salt, or baked whole and topped with all the trimmings your heart desires. But what about those of us who are texture fiends and need a little more crunch in our potatoes to achieve true perfection? Thankfully, Great British Bake Off winner and wildly successful chef and author Nadiya Hussain knows just the thing you need to get the crispiest seasoned potatoes.

In her cookbook "Nadiya's Everyday Baking," Hussain shares around 100 recipes that are jam-packed with helpful tips and cooking hacks that can help you level up your average weekday meals. She shares her potato-perfecting methods, advising first to boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes before draining them and tossing them into a pan and lightly mashing them up until they're just a touch fluffy (via Independent). Here's where the seasoning magic comes in. Maybe you'll stick to the salt and pepper basics, or maybe you've already curated the perfect blend of spices to ensure every starchy morsel is just as tasty as the next. Think you're done? Don't touch that stove dial just yet if you want that beautiful crunch to happen! We still need to add that secret ingredient to the pan.

Dating back to the 19^th century, baking powder has been used as a much quicker rising agent for baked goods that revolutionized the traditional approach to baking forever. If you've ever needed a bit of chemistry magic to thicken up a broth or stew, you know that baking powder is also your best friend for this task. According to Nadiya Hussain, a teaspoon or two of baking powder can be sprinkled into your pan as your potatoes are cooking to give them that perfectly crispy exterior. "Swish it around, and that reaction when you've got that sizzling baking powder – that hits the hot oil and you get that instant crunch," (via Independent). Season, sizzle, and crunch — it's as easy as that. 

Don't have any baking powder left? You can use baking soda if you have some around, but it won't have quite the same effect. Baking soda can even be applied at different stages of the cooking process, like when your potatoes are still boiling in the pot (via Express). Out of all the mistakes made when cooking potatoes, giving a pleasant mouthfeel to your seasoned taters definitely isn't one of them!