Please help! Useless cook

[UselessCookAnonymous]

I'm hosting tomorrow and I'm ready to cry already!

I don't know why I haven't given up by now, whenever I host I get so stressed and can never get anything right.

First of all, is there any point roasting these potatoes tomorrow (which have obviously been overboiled rather than par boiled, even though I followed the recipe timings)

I might do hasselback as a replacement but I've never done them so pretty sure they'll burn on the outside and be undercooked on the inside or something.

Secondly, can I pre peel and cut carrots into chunks a day ahead or will they dry out?

Thank you, pretty desperate over here!

Those potatoes will be banging. Get your oil really really hot and you’ll get great crispy bits.

They'll be great roasted - just don't toss them round any more!

You can pre-cut the carrots, just immerse in cold water til you're ready to cook.

Good luck! You'll be fine :)

You can definitely do your carrots in advance. Just keep them in a bowl of water in the fridge.

Prepare carrots but store in cold water, covered in fridge or cool area.

Potatoes are more than par boiled but with hot goose fat, they will have lovely crispy, crunchy bits.

Those potatoes look like they will be delicious! Mmmm crunchy bits.

Thanks a lot, that has cheered me up! The problem though is that since half of them disintegrated it probably won't be enough now (4 adults and 2 toddlers)?

Also the point of them was to roast them in this fancy spiced oil which I had made but it all got wasted running off with the disintegrated mushy bits of potatoes...

I think I can do without and keep it plain, but will they be OK kept in the fridge like this overnight until tomorrow, or should I be remaking the oil to pour over tonight?

Thank you also for the tip about the carrots, I will do that. The more I can do tonight the less of a mess I will be tomorrow hopefully!

If worried about quantity of food, just put some (nice) bread & butter on the table too. Or it's quite easy to add some stuffing or sausages if it is a roast.

Or do something different (easy) for the toddlers - like bread sticks or potato waffles. They will not care.

Oil the potatoes tomorrow - if possible heat up the oil first (though it will not be the end of the world). If you are putting them in the fridge tonight, get them out a few hrs in advance to let them get to room temp tomorrow.

Those spuds are going to be epic OP - don’t panic about those!

How about a casserole as you could put new potatoes in it and they shouldn't need peeling and the meal is then in one dish. Or use ready made pastry from a supermarket and have a pie. You could serve it with crusty baguettes.

They’ll be grand. Get the oil and tray hot in the oven first, do them in a nice large tray so they have plenty of space to roast.

Those potatoes will roast beautifully. Stick the roasting pan and the fat you are cooking them in the top of a hot oven, before you add the spuds, and give them 40-45 minutes, shaking or turning them after about 25. And wait for the compliments.

When par boiling potatoes to roast NEVER believe the recipe.

Once the water is boiling away check the potatoes with a sharp knife after 5 mins.

Keep checking after a few mins until they're still firm and the knife slides through with a bit of effort.

Shake some flour on before you throw in the oven adds to the crispness!

If you are doing a roast throw in some Yorkshire puddings little sausages and nice gravy and you are good to go.

If your fancy oil has gone just do this -

get a nice deep sided roasting tin, put some oil in the bottom, half a CM max, sunflower or veg oil is fine. Put the tin in the oven on the hottest setting your oven will go.

sprinkle those potatoes with anything good you have.
worst case - salt and pepper - but you could add some garlic, rosemary, semolina crisps them up nicely, something like ‘season all’ or a little smoked paprika, basically anything just don’t go nuts.

give the oil and the tin about 15 mins, then take the tin out - it will be incredibly hot and possibly smoking - please be very very careful. Tip your seasoned potatoes in, mushy bits too.

tip the tin to one side and spoon the oil over all the potatoes so they are all a bit oily, and put back in the oven.

again keep kids out of the way and be very careful.

30-40 mins they will be delish. Back up with bread or some wedges too (just as easy - can advise how!) but they will be perfect.

I always over boil my potatoes!