The Roasted Potatoes Beloved By Princess Diana Skip Oil Altogether

Roasted potatoes are typically coated in oil before baking to make them crispy. But when former royal chef Darren McGrady prepared them for Princess Diana, he used something different: egg whites.

McGrady has often said that Princess Diana wanted to eat healthy, and he adjusted some of her meals accordingly. Her roasted potatoes were one example: He coated them in egg whites and paprika instead of preparing them the same way as the potatoes served to Prince William and Prince Harry. In a USA Today interview, McGrady recalled that the boys would request foods like fried chicken, potato skins, and roasted potatoes when they ate with Princess Diana. He would modify her portion, including removing the fat from her chicken and setting her potatoes apart on the serving dish so she knew which ones were hers. While Chef McGrady has described the technique he used for Princess Diana's roasted potatoes, he has never publicly shared a full recipe, including exact measurements, cooking time, or oven temperature.

Potatoes weren't the only food McGrady regularly prepared for the princess. He has said that her favorite meal was stuffed bell peppers, while she enjoyed crêpes soufflé d'abricots for dessert so much that Chef McGrady would leave her a second serving in the kitchen. Her roasted potatoes were simple, and the egg-white coating served another purpose beyond replacing the oil: It also helped the potatoes crisp as they roasted.

Using egg whites on roasted potatoes isn't limited to the royal kitchen. New York-based Chef Dan Kluger also uses the technique for his crispy salt-and-pepper potatoes. His method, featured by Epicurious, starts with small, thin-skinned potatoes coated in foamy egg whites before they're seasoned and roasted.

The egg white coating changes the texture of the potato skins in two ways. As egg whites heat, their proteins thicken while moisture evaporates, leaving behind a crisp surface. The coating also gives seasonings something to adhere to, so salt, pepper, and herbs are less likely to fall away before the potatoes reach the oven. This combination creates the delicious contrast of crisp, seasoned skins and soft, fluffy centers.

For home cooks interested in trying this technique, the egg-white trick for crispy roasted potatoes starts with whipping the whites until foamy, coating the potatoes, and draining away the excess before adding any seasonings. Small, thin-skinned potatoes work especially well with this method because their skins crisp easily. Kluger also recommends small fingerlings, red bliss, or butterball potatoes, though larger potatoes may need more cooking time. It may not be Chef McGrady's exact recipe, but this method follows the same technique behind Princess Diana's crispy, oil-free roasted potatoes.