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Golden biltong-crusted roast potatoes with crisp scored edges, savoury biltong crumbs and fresh parsley

Golden Biltong-Crusted Roast Potatoes with Savoury Butter

Irene Muller
Golden, crispy South African roast potatoes coated in biltong butter, aromatic coriander, garlic and smoked paprika. Finished with extra biltong, fresh parsley and lemon zest.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
  

Potatoes

  • 10 medium potatoes Sifra or Mondial, peeled
  • 2 tbsp coarse salt for boiling water
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Biltong butter

  • 100 g butter
  • 100 ml sunflower or canola oil
  • 55 g brown onion soup powder 1 packet
  • 1 tsp ground coriander toasted
  • ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves finely grated
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 100 g biltong finely shredded or ground; divided in half

To finish

  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • flaky sea salt to taste

Instructions
 

Full printable method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Place a baking dish in the oven to heat.
    Ingredients for biltong-crusted roast potatoes including potatoes, biltong, butter, herbs, seasonings and lemon
  • Place the whole peeled potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water, add coarse salt and bicarbonate of soda, and boil for about 20 minutes, until half cooked.
  • Drain carefully, then leave the potatoes in a colander for 5 minutes to steam-dry.
  • Toast the ground coriander in a dry pan for about 30 seconds. Melt the butter, then whisk in the oil, brown onion soup powder, coriander, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Stir in 50 g of the biltong; reserve the rest for finishing.
  • Score each potato at 1 cm intervals, cutting only about two-thirds of the way down. Rest each potato between two wooden spoons to avoid cutting all the way through.
  • Add a few spoonfuls of the biltong butter to the hot baking dish. Arrange the potatoes in the dish and baste generously, working the butter between the slices.
  • Roast for approximately 1 hour, basting after 25 minutes and again after 45 minutes, until the potatoes are deep golden and crisp.
  • Let the potatoes rest for 3 minutes, then scatter over the reserved biltong, parsley and lemon zest. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve warm.

Notes

Quick version: Preheat to 220°C (200°C fan). Halve the potatoes, parboil for 10 minutes with bicarbonate of soda, toss with biltong butter and roast for 45–50 minutes, turning twice.
Chef’s tips: Add only half the biltong before roasting to avoid bitterness. Soup powder and biltong are salty, so avoid extra salt until serving. Serve with sour cream, chives and horseradish, or chutney. For a braai twist, finish on the grid for 5 minutes.
Vegetarian smoked mushroom alternative: Shred 250 g king oyster or portobello mushrooms. Toss with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp oil. Dry on a lined tray at 120°C for 45–60 minutes until dark and chewy; cool and chop to a coarse crumb. Use vegetarian brown onion soup powder, replace Worcestershire with 2 tsp soy sauce, and substitute the mushroom crumb for the biltong, using half in the butter and half to finish.