Perfect Roast Potatoes?

[itsonlysubterfuge]

how do you do it? I seem to do something wrong. They are crispy when I take them out of the oven, but once they go from the oven to the plate they go soggy. I want to make them with clarified butter, or oil. They are for DH this Christmas and he is vegetarian. I need to practice before Christmas, this is our first Christmas at home, normally we travel to my parents in America.

[CalamityKate]

Semolina?

[wetnoodle]

I will totally toot my own horn and say my roasties are the BEST

Always crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Even when I reheat them the next day they are good.

After years of trial and error I now use this method every time:

1. Parboil potatoes until they are fairly soft but not so much they break apart easily when you stick a fork in

1. Pre-heat oven to 240

1. Coat roasting tin with vegetable oil and put in pre-heated oven for approx 10 mins

1. When the oil is pipping hot place potatoes in tin. Reduce oven temp to 220

1. Cook for approx 10-15 min then turn them, takes about 25 minutes for them to brown all over

You basically want to shallow fry them in the oven, that's the way I think of it anyways

[bruffin]

The best fatl is duck or goose fat.

The best tips are as wetnoodle says

Parboil, then shake them so that the outside is roughened, this increases the surface are so it becomes crispier

and make sure cooking fat is really hot before you put the potatoes in,

[TaraLott]

Olive oil, very hot.
I don't parboil too far, just bring to the boil.

[JamNan]

Goose fat or clarified butter for vegetarians. The fat needs to be very hot when you put the potatoes in. Make sure they are not wet or the fat will spit. I usually parboil and roughen the skins with a fork. I never have much success with olive oil.

[pinkyredrose]

Goose fat isn't vegetarian!

[bruffin]

Jam was saying use butter as an alternative for vegetarians, not both goose and butter.

[HankyScore]

You need to leave the potatoes on the hob once drained and fluffed to allow the steam to take the moisture out of them.

Also, cut them at angles to give a bigger surface area for crunch.

[MERLYPUSS]

I never parboil mine. Just sling them in the oven with some oil in the pan. Jiggle them every so often and prise them form the bottom ofthe tin. When they are soft through, what the oven on full to make the crisp up. some varieties of spud will not crisp so dont beat yourself up.

[bruffin]

They will crisp up Merlypuss if you parboil them.

[Pantah630]

Dripping is better than goose fat IMHO, I don't like the aftertaste of goose fat. Yes, parboil and hot fat and oven.

[lolalotta]

I think it is very important you buy the best potatoes possible. Maris pipers or King Edward, bog standard white potatoes always go soggy IMO, however you cook them !

[ExcuseTypos]

I agree lola some potatoes are great roasted, some aren't. I always use king Edwards or Maris Pipers for roasting.

Par boil for about 10 mis, drain off the water and shake the potatoes to roughen them up a bit. Let them cool down for a few minutes so they aren't "steaming". Pop into the oven in very hot oil. I use vegetable oil as it doesnt burn at higher temperatures as much as olive oil.

[MERLYPUSS]

Mine do crisp without boiling. Mum always did the same. The only time I parboil is if I am rushed for time.

[Snowdown]

The right potatoes are the key. King Edwards are the only potatoes I buy, good flavour and dry floury texture. I can't go wrong with them, used to make oven chips or roasties with olive oil, lard, goose fat - they are just brilliant.

[Snowdown]

I parboil for a rougher surface but it's not necessary for the crunch as long as I use king Edwards - did I mention that before?

[Catsmamma]

I par boil mine...just up to the boil then off. Into hot fat, top of the oven.

My best tip is to put them on a tray and not in a roasting tin...the higher sides shelter them from the heat and they are much less likely to crisp up

I often start them off around the joint to get the meat fat onto them but always try to finish them on a tray

Also try not to pile them up on the serving dish....they are apt to sweat a bit and then lose their crispness. And some potatoes are jsut better roasters than others.

[AcheyMiddle]

I par boil them, and never, ever use olive oil. It just can't get hot enough. Best is animal fat but obviously not for a vege!

Top tip though has already been mentioned by someone, semolina, or polenta flour, whatever you call it. Sprinkle liberally after par boiling with a generous amount of salt, put in hot fat in v hot oven, and you should end up with super crispy roasties.

[HobbitWorrier]

I parboil, drain, then put a lid on them in the colander to steam dry... only then do i fluff them, seems to work much better! Add them to hot oil in a tray, flip them once or twice.

[Muddlewitch]

I find that mine do crisp, but most of the crispy bit sticks to the pan. What's that all about?

[ChippyMinton]

Yes to king eds or maris piper, parboiling etc. Plus a good vegetable oil such as Flora, and most important, only remove from oven when everything else is ready to serve.

[cosikitty]

Olive oil makes the potatoes stick to the roasting tin. No need to par boil, i think they crisp quicker without, but they are nicer and crispier if you do par boil as you can rough up the surface. i agree that they main rule is to use a fluffy variety of potato!

[HoneyDragon]

Mine A&E always perfectly fluffy in the middle no properly crispy and textured on the outside, and healthy. I bung them in the Actifry

[HoneyDragon]

no, is meant to be and