This recipe comes from my Uncle Clive in England (where all the world’s Clives live). I am repeating it below word for word, as he sent it to me:

Please forgive if any of the below is stating the bleedin’obvious…

The oil has to be very hot when the potatoes go in. I use a mixture of oil and butter, around 0.5 cm deep but I baste the potatoes when they go in to make sure they are ‘covered’ in oil.

So, peel the potatoes and I find that pieces about 4-5 cms are ideal – perhaps half a normal potato size.

Par-boil so that the outside is just a bit soft and in the meantime make sure the fat is hot.

Drain the water off and shake the potatoes in the pan with a lid on to roughen the outsides. This is why it’s unhealthy as a lot of the oil adheres to the rough surface. (I also, for perfection(!) shake plain flour on to the potatoes before putting them in the oven thus ensuring a crisp result at the end.)

Temperature should be hot. The size of potato suggested, with preparatory par-boiling, will roast in around 45 minutes but just keep your eye on them.