Which fat to use for roast potatoes ?

[WildRosie]

I haven't made my own RPs for years but I seem to remember using beef dripping when I did and getting a good result. I believe goose fat is either traditional or fashionable. I think my late Mum just used sunflower oil. I don't think I have used either of the latter two.

What do you prefer to use, assuming their are no dietary or budget considerations ? Thankyou.

I usually use lard or rapeseed oil. Beef dripping is good but I find it harder to get hold of.
I'm not a fan of duck or goose fat, nice and crispy but to me has an odd tang.

Goose

Another vote for salted ghee (and Maris Piper).

Olive oil in the pan and a huge amount of butter on top added throughout the process. High heat essential. The best potatoes and vegetarians can eat them too.

My order of preference:

1. Dripping
2. Goose fat
3. Lard

Never oil of any kind. It just doesn't get hot enough for the proper crispy outside.

Chips fried in dripping are absolute heaven. My nana used to do them, they were a proper treat!

Lard if I don't have dripping but ideally dripping.
Depending on what spuds are in season I rarely par boil.
Use Dripping in my pudding tray too.
Dripping is nice on bread with salt or on toast.

Oh goodness, ghee toasted potatoes are going to be how I do them for Christmas. Yum.

Rapeseed oil, beautiful crispy pots!

I use the juice from the meat with a little butter and a stock cube. Crisp up nice.

I use olive oil. Par boil the spuds for about 7/10 mins, and preheat the oil. Drain, dry and fluff the spuds in a colander, then roast in the hot oil for about an hour at 180c. Parsnips are treated just the same. For me, Rooster potatoes make the best roast spuds as they fluff up without disintegrating - makes them nice and crunchy.

Another one for beef dripping, don't rate goose fat.

I collect whatever fat there is from the roast meat and store it in the fridge to use for future roast potatoes.

@SomethingNastyInTheBallPool, I'm not sure tbh, I forget and search the UK IP Facebook group every time. I peel and chop the potatoes first. I think it is seven minutes, high pressure, quick release. About 200mls of water in the bottom, potatoes on the trivet. I then stick them in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.

I always use a solid fat - normally beef dripping, but sometimes lard or Trex. If I’m completely out of that (unlikely) I use veg oil with a bit of butter.

The fat from whatever meat you are cooking is the most economical.

Goose or Duck fat.

Lol at duck fart 🤣

Oops, just spotted that 😂

Mind you as a non meat eater, it would be the same thing to me 😂

My absolute favourite is plain old chicken fat. I always save it when I'm roasting a chicken. Lard is nice too.

DP insists upon Goose/Duck fat or Lard. He's cooking them- and he's even gone on the bus to the larger supermarket this morning to try and find them, as none of the local ones stock either (plus he's bought block cooking fat for pastry).

I will, however, be looking in Waitrose this week for beef dripping in case he wants to cook with that - can't afford a bone in joint of beef, so can't make it myself.

I grew up being presented with greasy, slightly sweaty roast potatoes with no seasoning other than the whiff of stale/reused cooking oil. I used to say that I didn't like roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, toad in the hole or anything else that needs high heat and some fat.

Apparently horse fat makes the best roasties but I can't say I have any experience. We use goose or duck fat depending which bird we are cooking.

Goose fat, and I say this as a vegetarian.

I got into the habit of frying off my mince - beef (dripping) mainly but sometimes pork (lard) - and retaining the fat. I also drain the fat from roasting chickens, pork and gammon joints (I use vegetable oil on them initially when putting them In the oven). I let it settle then separate the stock from the fat, reheat in the microwave and filter through kitchen roll which leaves me a decent amount of hard fat in a bowl in the fridge. This is what I use for my roast potatoes and they are lush.

I parboil maris piper spuds in salted water, shake them to rough them up (with the fat in the pan) a bit then leave them to go cold. Once I'm roasting I sling them in the pan, give them a shake and a turn from time to time then roast on high. Always great, light and fluffy inside, beautifully crisp and crunchy on the outside. Then I top up my fat reserves with the leftovers from all the pans...its a faff to be honest, probably uneconomical but there's nothing worse than crap roast potatoes!

Beef dripping, duck and goose are no good or at least the fat I bought was no good.

We always have a jar of goose fat but dp renders ‘stuff’ (I don’t know, I don’t really cook) to make his own which stays in a bowl in the fridge.
Roasties need to be crispy but also flavoursome otherwise - what’s the point?!