Non crispy roast potatoes

[HappyWednesday1]

Why is it when ever I have a roast dinner out the potatoes are are never crispy or brown always pale and soft. It always puts me off and makes me wish I had just made my own. Been to many pubs and restaurants in different places and always the same.

It's because in most pubs it's impossible for them to cook roast dinners to order so things like the potatoes are reheated. I don't thing most pub roast dinners are worth it tbh, they're usually better done at home.

I agree. Almost worse are roast potatoes that have been chucked in the deep fat fryer to crisp them up.

Quite often the meat is completely over cooked too. But no washing up to do! 👍

Yes it puts me off having a roast out

They’ll be kept hot all jumbled in together so the steam softens them. Also they’re never roughed up after par boiling or cooked long enough. I love a roast but even the best restaurant one isn’t as good as my home made one!

The thing is, food like roast dinner is always nice cooked at home, fresh from oven. So, it's the choice between eating out so you don't need to go through prep and cleaning afterwards, or cook it to your liking at home but do some bit of work.

Why I'm not prepared to pay £20pp at our local pub, I'd rather cook and DH can do the washing up

Too many to do at once to do them well.
Well, it’s still possible but time consuming and probably takes up more space in tins in oven than they can manage.
We go out to eat loads but never for a Sunday roast - we’ve been disappointed too many times! Inferior meat, lacklustre roast potatoes, veg is usually pretty good though! Never enough of the things you want more of… would rather eat a proper well cooked one at home tbh.

Quite often they are pre-cooked and reheated. My partner is a chef - it's eye opening actually knowing how meals are prepared 😅 he hates eating out now as he knows what goes on behind the scenes

Roast potatoes live or die on the quality of the roast potatoes. A good one is a rare thing, but they do exist. The one we've just discovered near us is a perfect roast dinner in all respects - crispy fatty roasties, perfectly cooked meat, fresh yorkshire pudding, interesting veg and lovely gravy.

I think you’re right TheChosenTwo - it’s probably trying to cook too many on one pan. I use two trays just to Cook enough potatoes for 4/5 of us so that they have enough space around them to properly brown. I guess if you were cooking enough for 50-100 people at a time you’d need quite a lot of trays, so they cram them in too close.