how do you roast your potatoes please?

[unknownn]

Okay so i am a terrible cook dont laugh at me. My DP loves a roast and i'd love to make one for him. I think i am okay with everything accept the potatoes. A big question for me is how 'boiled' do they need to be before putting them in the oven? I remember my mother used to use the chicken fat from the chicken and they tasted amazing. May i ask how you roast your tatoes?

Cook til over 'per bolied'.
Rustle up the saucepan with them in once they are dry.
Put baking tin with oil in oven for AT LEAST 5 mins then toss them in.
DONT TOSS THEM OVER until at least 20 mins in, otherwise you will take pff the botton, roasted layer. Wait til they move easily from the pan, then turn them.
Ime, no need for goose fat, it's all in the technique. Good luck

Buy the ready made ones that are mixed with other root veg (snips, carrots, shallots and swede) and then just chuck them in the oven until they're almost black done.

I like to roast new potatoes (after having boiled them for 10-20 minutes) with crushed garlic cloves and chunks of red onion.

Buy the ready made ones that are mixed with other root veg (snips, carrots, shallots and swede)

But then you'd have to throw away the 'snips, carrots, shallots and swede

But then you'd have to throw away the 'snips, carrots, shallots and swede

Noooo they're the best bits and are much nicer than roast spuds!!

I don't agree with roughening them up, I prefer them smooth. If you don't want to parboil then cut them quite small.

Par boil.

Drain and shake.

Leave to cool.

Dust in flour.

Add to pan with hot oil.

Roast for 45-60mins, turning once or twice.

Anyone know why my par boiled maris pipers always end up a bit dry inside?

Depends on the occasion. Proper roasties for a special occasion require parboiling and lots of oil. The boil doesn’t need to be too long, just until they are starting to give at the edges (that’s what makes them crispy). Then toss them in lots of hot fat (I use an oil/butter mix, but you could use goose fat or dripping), and roast turning occasionally. But for an every day roast and a less calorific option I opt for just tossing the potatoes in oil and seasoning and letting them cook in the oven

As per everyone else you need to start with the right potatoes - floury ones which will be labelled on the packet 'roasting'.

I parboil them for a random amount of time, usually 5-10 minutes, 20 is too long and they start collapsing.

Drain in collander, shake so they are rough and then let them sit in the collander to steam for a bit - this stage is really important as it gets them to dry off.

Fat is also important. Yes you can use any old sunflower oil, but as you remember from your DM, fat from a previous roast is lovely. You can buy goose fat in jars but fat collected from a roast chicken or roast duck is better as it has all the chickeny/ducky bits in. It will keep in the fridge indefinitely.

Stick a couple of spoonfuls in a roasting tin 5 minutes before the potatoes go in so it can melt. Then take the tray out and spoon the fat over every potato. Put tray back in the oven for 40-60 minutes until done.

I do roast duck at Christmas, it produces loads of fat plus it is easy to render all the fat off the skin and then I have a large jar in the fridge for the rest of the year.

thewoodenskillet.com/render-chicken-fat-schmaltz/

I par boil 4/5 mins, shake and let dry for as long as possible. Goose fat or beef dripping as hot as piss and cook till browned. Turn once half way through 👍🏼
Maris Piper or King Edwards

*poss NOT piss

Semolina flour is better than plain. Oh and add a teaspoon of marmite to the oil when you heat it.

Maris Pipers, peeled, cut into large pieces
Boiled for 15 minutes in salted water
Left to steam-dry in a colander.

Largest baking tray I can find - should be about half full once the spuds are in, goose fat heated to 215oC until smoking, add potatoes.

Cook for 45-55 mins, I crumble 1 beef and 1 vegetable oxo cube and dust the potatoes each time I turn them (every 15-20 mins, when browned).

Most importantly, I tip the tray to the side and let the potatoes slide into the fat for a swim before lifting them out with tongs into a serving bowl.

@FuckBalls thank you so much for your ghee suggestion! Trying it on tonight's roasties, they've only been in for 15 minutes and blimey I can see they are crisping up nice already. Excited to taste

I par boil them (a bit more than par-, tbh, probably 15 minutes), then drain them into a colander.

I then shake them around and use a fork to smash the fuck out of them - slightly mash the edges, score lines in them, basically give them as much surface area as possible.

Throw in a bit of plain flour and loads of salt and pepper and shake to coat.

Into a tray of hot oil and cook for about an hour.

My roasties are the greatest.

M&S do a packet of 'roast potato seasoning' which is quite nice and also makes them crispy.

@Clevs that's where I got my semolina inspiration from. That mix is semolina, onion powder, salt and pepper.

How you cut them also helps make them more crispy (i.e. if you cut on diagonal, you have a bigger surface area)

Parboil - I never time them but stick a knife in a few. If the knife goes in a little bit they're done
Drain and put back on the heat for a minute or so to get rid of excess moisture
Put the lid on and shake in saucepan to fluff them up

Put in the oven 160/180 (whatever you cook the meat on if in the same pan)

The fat you use is important - it needs a high heating point - usually, I use rapeseed oil or duck/goose fat for a treat. The fat should be hot when you add the puds

I don't use either but a shaking of polenta or flour can also help with crispy spuds

Sprinkle them with paprika. It brings out the flavour and gives them a lovely colour

King Edwards or Maris Pipers. Boil for ten minutes, drain and shake to rough up edges. No need to add flour or anything else. Should be sizzling when added to the fat.

To ensure crispiness don't put anything else in the oven with them.

To PPs: parboil used to mean boil thoroughly but its modern usage has changed since being mistaken for 'part boil'.

Definitely do NOT use Maris piper. You need king Edwards or even better rooster potatoes.

You should parboil first about 5 minutes so the outsides are starting to soften. Then shake the post apes on the pan (after draining the water) to fluff them up a bit).

Meanwhile your oil should have been heating up in the oven and should be nice and hot. I use goose fat.

Add the par boiled potatoes to the hot goose fat, baste with the fat and put in the oven.

Baste the potatoes every 15 mins or so.

Should take about an hour.

I like to take off any excess oil before serving with kitchen towel.

Done. My roast potatoes are legendary (with my DH and DS anyway lol!)

For clarity, Maris piper are floury potatoes as others have aid but don't taste as nice and imo lead to disappointing risk Astor's. I used to always use king Edwards until I discovered roosters which make amazing roast pots.

Another vote for King Eddie's or Roosters. I leave the skins on, cut them on a slant and not too small Boil from cold in salted water for about 10-15 mins until the edges look a bit soft. Drain thoroughly and leave to steam for a bit. Toss them in a mix of hot olive and sunflower oil with a knob of butter, loads of salt and pepper, chopped fresh sage or thyme, sprinkle of garlic powder, paprika is good too. Leave to cool and freeze or stick in the fridge to use the next day. If using same day cook for about 40mins while the Yorkshire pud's in and the meat rests.

If you need to add flour, you're doing it wrong. Just saying.

Ten minutes before you take them out of oven, throw a knob of butter in and shake to cover the spuds. Extra golden and tasty.