For many people, the star of Christmas dinner-here is how to make it perfect

Talk to Irish people living abroad and mention potatoes. They may become watery, silent for a while, and may begin to mumble incoherently to their mother, home and kitchen, "God, I miss potatoes." Potatoes and love for them flow in our blood, Intertwined with happiness and miserable emotions. Of course, most countries have good potatoes. Try to find those who are still clinging to their native soil. The potatoes here are cooked, the outer skin is golden brown, the outer skin is soft, and the inner layer is soft. happiness.

The key to success: peeling as close as possible to the cooking time. Use the highest quality vegetable or animal fats.

Ingredients: Buy a variety of unwashed potatoes in flour, such as golden miracle or cole pink, to get the best baked potatoes. Sante is another great baking option. The vegetable fat in olive oil, or the animal fat in duck, goose, pork or beef, will make potatoes taste delicious and crispy. I like duck fat or goose fat best. Do not sprinkle Shanghai salt until the potatoes are cooked-if you add it in advance, it may cause the skin to stick to the tray, which will be a disaster for some people.

Serve 4 potatoes 8-10, depending on how fat you like the potatoes 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, duck fat or goose fat, pork fat or beef dripping sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 210C. Fan/gas mark 8. Peel the potatoes. If the size is uneven, cut the larger ones in half to make them roughly the same. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and boil. Simmer for a minute, then drain-if you put them in a colander, they will dry out, but you need to make sure they are very dry, so if necessary, wipe them gently with a tea towel. Use a fork to scratch the surface of each potato several times. This scoring promotes brittle skin. Put them in a bowl and then pour the fat of your choice. Transfer them layer by layer to a heavy baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about an hour until the potatoes are nicely colored, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Season with sea salt and consume as soon as possible.

Master It from Rory O'Connell (HarperCollins, £20)