Cacio e pepe-crusted roasties
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Cacio e pepe-crusted roasties
A cheesy black-pepper crust adds extra crunch and bold flavour to these golden roasties. To get ahead, parboil the potatoes and roughen their edges up to 24 hours before, then cool and chill until needed
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg floury potatoes (eg maris piper), peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 125g pecorino romano, finely grated
- 5 tbsp goose fat
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
Step by step
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Set over a high heat, bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are starting to soften. Drain into a colander and leave to steam-dry for 2-3 minutes.
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Meanwhile, line a large baking tray (about 38cm x 25cm) with baking paper. Put the peppercorns in a food bag, seal, then bash with a rolling pin until coarsely crushed (or use a pestle and mortar). Combine these with the grated pecorino. If your goose fat is set solid, melt 1 tablespoon of it in a small pan or the microwave. Brush the lined tray with the liquid goose fat, then evenly sprinkle over the peppery cheese mixture (don’t be tempted to spread it out once it’s on the tray).
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Put the remaining goose fat in the pan you used for the potatoes, heat until very hot, then remove from the heat. Shake the potatoes in the colander to roughen the edges, then tip into the hot fat and gently toss to coat (take care not to break them up).
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Use tongs or a spoon to add the potatoes one by one, cut-side down, to the baking tray. Sprinkle the tops of the potatoes with the sea salt flakes. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to become firm, then cut between a few potatoes at a time and transfer them to a warm serving platter, with their cheesy crusts facing up.
