Perfect veggie roasties

[MummyPig24]

How do you get your roast potatoes perfectly crispy and fluffy without using duck/goose fat. For everyday roasties I use olive oil but dh is adamant he wants to use duck/goose fat to get the best roasties this Christmas. But my brother is coming for dinner and I would have to make his potatoes separately as he is vegetarian and I don't have space in the oven for different trays.

[80sWaistcoat]

I do great roasties without goose fat. Use the right kind of potato, once parboiled shake then min the pot to roughen the outsides up. Make sure the oil is really hot. I don't use olive oil as it doesn't get hot enough, can't remember the technical term. So sunflower or groundnut oil probably best. Then whack in oven.

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

I do them exactly the same way as 80swaistcoat. I also cut mine asectionally which increases surface area exposed to the oil.

I've done goose fat before and I didn't find them any better.... Just heavier so I ended up with indigestion.

[BBQueen]

this method works for me - though I don't even bother with the par-boiling any more. The "mash" halfway through seems to do the trick. Don't be scared to really smooth the potatoes.

The real answer to your question is, however... If your DH doesn't like the way you're cooking potatoes, why isn't he doing them himself?

[BBQueen]

Smoosh, not smooth!

[lavendersun]

I do the same as 80s but with cold pressed rapeseed oil for roast potatoes, there is a company who make it near to where I live, I tried a sample one day and loved it.

[MummyPig24]

Oh he does cook, I didn't mean it yo sound as though he doesn't! He just wants to use goose fat and I don't. Thanks for the tips.

[enderwoman]

I think goose fat is overrated. A little butter mixed with the oil and provides best results in my opinion.

[venusinscorpio]

Totally agree with enderwoman. As a lifetime veggie, a bit of butter with the oil makes them lovely and crispy. I use olive oil but you could use another kind.

[venusinscorpio]

I tend to make hasselback roast potatoes for Christmas. Everyone loves them. You just cut slits nearly to the bottom of the parboiled potatoes before putting them into roast. They sort of fan out while roasting and get crispy in the slits, they're lovely and look impressive.

[venusinscorpio]

Looking at recipes online it seems you don't even need to peel or parboil the potatoes, every time i have made them I've done so but don't think I'll bother this year.

[ChinaSorrows]

Sunflower oil or veggie oil. No olive oil.

If they're not crisping up enough for your DH, they may need longer. (My DH loves roasting veg but whips them out after 30 min and they're always shite!!!) Potatoes take a surprisingly long time! I always give mine a good hour after par boiling and roughing them

[MummyPig24]

I think I need to parboil for longer, rough them up and use sunflower oil. Thanks!

[Boredofthinkingofnewnames]

Coat them in a tablespoon of flour before adding the oil

[Xenadog]

Par boil, drain, bash in saucepan, coat in semolina and then throw into very hot veggie oil. Roast on quite high for about 50 minutes.

Perfect spuds every time.

[Follyfoot]

Definitely not olive oil as its smoke point is too low, but rapeseed is perfect. We do ours the same as Xena but with a bit of flour rather than semolina (although I think semolina is supposed to make them even crunchier). Am getting hungry now....

[80sMum]

This method has never failed!
Use King Edward potatoes.
Peel and cut into large pieces, roughly the same size.
Bring a pan of water to the boil.
Add the spuds, bring back to boil and boil gently for 6 to 10 minutes, depending on size.
Drain.
Put lid on the pan, hold it on and shake the pan to rough up the spuds.
Heat some rapeseed oil in a large roasting pan on the hob.
Add the spuds and turn them over till all are coated in oil.
You should not have any spare oil left in the pan, the spuds should have soaked it all up. Spoon off surplus if any and discard.
Put pan in preheated oven at 200c (fan 180c).
Turn spuds over after about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven when golden and crispy, which will be between 60 and 75 minutes, depending on size and the accuracy of your oven temperature.

[80sMum]

Forgot to say, one should never use sunflower or corn oil for frying or roasting, as it changes chemically when heated to high temperatures and produces toxins.
Basically, any fat that is polyunsaturated is a no-no.

[venusinscorpio]

Rapeseed is good and does have a higher smoke point, I do use olive though (not ev and mixed with butter for crispy roasties) at 200c and it's fine. Best to avoid sunflower oil as 80sMum says -recent scientific research has found it's not good at high temperatures.

[MummyPig24]

I do remember seeing something on tv about the toxins in certain oils. So rapeseed and vegetable oil are safe?

[lavendersun]

I am in the 'toxins are everywhere in minuscule amounts' camp, so whilst I wouldn't actively choose something that was known to be harmful I am fairly relaxed otherwise - no idea about rapeseed oil safety wise but I use it more than olive oil these days, saving EV for dressings and things.

Known to be good for roasting anything at a high heat.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/08/rapeseed-oil-best-roast-potatoes

This is made near where I live so I buy that, nice products generally

www.crush-foods.com

[BuildersBum]

Butter.

Jamie Oliver did a test on one of his xmas cooking series the other year. I'm veggy so the goose fat is out. Loads of butter, at least one pack. Makes amazing roast potatoes. We add rosemary to the butter too.

Floury potatoes.
Cut into angular shapes, so there's lots of surface area.
Pre boil.
Dry.
Add to very hot butter in the roasting pan.
Turn, so all sides get buttery and crispy.

[INeedNewShoes]

I find rapeseed oil makes nice roast potatoes. I am using more rapeseed oil since finding out that olive oil is bad at high temperatures and find it's good for most things. I do think the quality of the oil makes a difference especially to things like roast potatoes though so I wouldn't go for the bog standard cheapy one.

[NoahVale]

ah but vegetable oil contains rapeseed oil, so you dont actually need to buy rapeseed oil, I believe

[venusinscorpio]

Vegetable/sunflower oil is more likely to be toxic at high temperatures. Google the latest research. Olive oil is fine. Rapeseed better at high temps. Rapeseed oil produced in the UK is generally not as highly processed as elsewhere.

[PerspicaciaTick]

We freeze ours after parboiling. One less job to do on the day, plus there are always a few in the freezer for emergencies. Just put the still frozen potatoes into hot sunflower oil and cook as usual. Makes the best, crispiest, fluffiest roasties ever.