Roast potatoes…

[HungryWisdom]

Can anyone share a foolproof roast potato recipe please?

I have olive oil, sunflower oil and hopefully some chicken fat from the chicken I have currently roasting…

Boil your potatoes until softening, while on the boil pop your roasting pan and oil in the oven. Take the potatoes off the boil, drain, and give a good shake. Pop into your roasting pan with lots of good salt - be careful as the oil is hot. Roast for about 50 mins, turn half way through.

Crunchy and delicious every time.

Agree with above. There are 3 key things: floury potatoes (eg king Edward, Desiree, Maris piper); shaking them after parboiling; and preheated very hot fat (I use light olive oil). If you do those three things they will be right every time!

Similar but different here:

Boil your potatoes until softening, while on the boil pop your roasting pan and oil in the oven.
Take the potatoes off the boil, drain, ADD SOME FLOUR and give a good shake.
TAKE POASTING PAN OUT OF OVEN AND PUT ON HOB TO GET EXTRA HOT
Pop into your roasting pan NO SALT - be careful as the oil is hot. TURN THEM OVER SO BASTED ALL OVER.
RETURN TO OVEN
Roast for about 50 mins, turn half way through.

Goose fat is the best.

I agree with PP's method: a dusting of flour when you shake them and use goose fat if you can.

Otherwise, sunflower will have to do! Not olive oil - never olive oil: it cannot take the heat.

I parboil until some are starting to fall apart, into cold oil, brush to make sure covered, add seasoning, and roast, sometimes lower and slower as you get the best caramelised bits that way.

Yorkshire puddings can also be done with cold oil, as long as the tin is thin metal and the oven is hot. And if you don't believe me, cos most people don't, I urge you to try it!

Thanks everyone! Does it matter which tray I use? Could I use a deep roasting tray or is something lower sided better? …if that makes sense!

And should I not bother saving some of the chicken fat?

I use light olive oil but they say sunflower/veg oil better as it can reach a higher temperature. Needs a par boil, drain and shake, put in hot oil roasting pan immediately with a little sea salt. I turn mine in the oil so all sides coated. Cook for about 20 mins and turn once or twice to get even browning. I use Albert Rooster red potatoes cut into 3 pieces per potato.

Agree with TeenDivided goose fat is the bomb!

Shallow(er) dish with enough space for the potatoes to spread out - they need as much air circulating around them as possible.

Make sure not to overcrowd the roasting dish or your potatoes will steam rather than crisp.

Personally, I'd save the fat and add to sunflower oil for flavour. Just be sure not to drown them in oil/fat.

This. Use multiple roasting tins if you have to.

I now use pressure cooker/slow cooker to do meat joint so there's less steam and more space in the oven.

Chicken fat not needed. I also find goose fat over rated.

You need an oil with a high smoke point - save your olive oil for dressing. I use grapeseed oil for roasting and frying.

This!

Also I cut my potatoes quite small, more crispy

Same as all above, but I use vegetable oil and Maris piper. Also, make sure the oven is hot when you transfer the tray of potatoes from the hob to oven.

After parboiling for 5 mins drain very well and shake them in the pan to fluff up the edges. Leave in pan with lid on for a few mins to dry off, then dust lightly with semolina before roasting in a preheated tin with hot oil or goosefat. The semolina helps to give a lovely crunch. If roasting with oil I add some of the fat from the chicken roasting tin too.

I always use this method and it produces delicious tatties!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ultimate-roast-potatoes

I use this method except I use goose or duck fat or beef dripping without any olive oil. Floury potatoes like King Edward or Maris Piper give the best results.

https://www.google.com/search?q=heston+blumenthal+roast+potatoes&oq=heston+blumenthal+roast+potatoes&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512j0i22i30l4j0i390i650l2.6558j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_V-AKZeybOeqXhbIPlKuG8AU_30

Just a little tip for extra nice, i sometimes crumble a chicken oxo over mine.
if i am doing the prep in advance i put the cold par boiled potatoes in a plastic bag add the oil and seasoning, a little bit of semolina powder and shake them around a bit the leave until needed, then its into a hot tin and roast turning over every so often.

Cut your potatoes at an angle. That way crispier skin lies.

My technique is very simple but never fails. Medium-sized Maria Piper potatoes cut in half then parboiled for 8 minutes (learnt about on a BBC series about potatoes years ago). While they are boiling, I heat up an old-fashioned (not new non-stick) deep roasting pan with a shallow layer of sunflower oil at 200 degrees in my fan oven. Drain potatoes and give a good shake to rough up the edges. Roll in the hot fat and cook for about 50ish minutes, turning once. Nothing fancy but crispy and delicious!

I’m a rebel and use Charlotte potatoes, parboil, drain and shuggle in the colander to roughen the edges, and then straight into preheated vegetable oil in a cast iron roasting dish.

I use Nigella’s trick of sprinkling over some polenta before shaking them. Makes them really crunchy 😋

Beef Dripping is also very good if you can't get goose fat (cheaper too).
Your chicken fat will be good.