I made my roast potatoes crispier with 1 unconventional ingredient - it's a gamechanger

Roast potatoes are a British institution, a roast dinner wouldn't be complete without them. However, I've had plenty of subpar spuds in my time, with flabby skin, undercooked and rock hard in the middle, and a distinct lack of roastedness.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've attempted to replicate several chefs' recipes at home that have fallen short, no matter how much or little oil or fat I use. Recently I was made aware of another ingredient that makes the process just as easy, promising amazing results.

Simply Recipes recommended one very controversial ingredient: mayonnaise. Yes, a lacklustre condiment.

Instead of oil or regular fat from geese, Simply Recipe's writer Erika Kwee argued mayo is the instant upgrade spud lovers need to achieve the perfect extra crispy skin on the outside.

All you need to do is toss the potatoes in mayonnaise before putting them in the oven. So I did just that.

After parboiling and fluffing up the potatoes, I tossed them in a bowl with a generous amount of mayo. According to Simply Recipes, you need about three tablespoons of mayo per pound of potatoes. I just eyeballed the measurements a la Jamie Oliver.

The recipe called for 20 minutes in the oven at 200C but when time was up, the potatoes weren't as crispy as I'd like. So I gave it an extra 10 minutes and a baste for good measure.

Ten minutes weren't enough, so I added 10 more. Double the amount of time the recipe asked for.

The sneak peak I got in the oven after the alarms sounded proved the potatoes were heading in the right direction. But was it all for show?

No, it was not. Mayonnaise is a game-changer. Not only did the potatoes have that enviable brown crisp, but the crunch didn't disappoint.

There was a slight crackle when I put my ear to the tray. Not only did the mayo achieve its desired goal, it certainly helped with the flavour too.

The roast potatoes had this hint of sweetness from the caramelised parts of the skin. Thankfully, the mayo didn't overwhelm the taste of a classic roast potato.

The reason why mayo is a good substitute for traditional oil is because the fats in the condiment melt into the potatoes and help them crisp up without burning, explained AllRecipes. The publication also explained that mayonnaise can help induce the Maillard reaction. I know, I had to Google this too.

Essentially it's the reaction that helps the development of the brown colour on the outside of the potatoes and other roasted foods, as well its indulgent flavour and crispy crunchiness on the outside. Another benefit to using mayo to help crisp up roast potatoes is its high smoke point.

It's higher than butter or oil, which means that the potatoes can be cooked at a higher temperature without risk of burning the outside before the inside is fully cooked. Obviously, when roasting potatoes, you want to make sure the oven is hot enough.

Usually when roasting potatoes, I put the baking or roasting tray in the oven while it's preheating to make sure that the surface the potatoes are going on is hot. I'd definitely recommend placing your tray in the oven too, it will help, trust me.

Another one of Erika's recommendations is a much-loved tip by chefs, agitating the potatoes for a rougher edge, also known as chuffing. Yes, that really is the word.

After you've parboiled the spuds, loosely hold a lid on top of the saucepan and shake it like you just don't care. This will make the potatoes look like fluffy little lumps, but will help them crisp up when in the oven.

Honestly, this mayonnaise hack is a game-changer when it comes to roasting potatoes. The logic is right there in front of us. Once you try it, you'll never go back.