to ask for help from MN in overcoming my secret shame?

[HedgehogsDontBite]

I can't cook roast potatoes. There, I've finally admitted it.

I've reached the grand old age of 45 and am utterly incapable when it comes to these little buggers. They either come out rock hard and inedible or they resemble one of the dog's chew toys. I've tried loads of different 'recipes' but it's always the same. Failure. I'd buy frozen ones if they sold them where I live, but they don't.

Now I'm hosting Christmas dinner and I can hide no longer. WIBU to do chips instead and tell our non-British guests that this is traditional?

[londonrach]

Very simple. Part boil for a few minutes then put in tray in oven with oil and butter. Turn once. If i have no time i dont part boil. I dont even peel then, just wash, cut then put in tray. Seems to taste ok. I just made dropped scones for first time yesterday and not far off your age... New experiences are good.

[ipsofacto73]

buy waitrose's frozen goose fat oven ready. my dh is a roastie addict and he cant tell the difference. its utter joy for me and no faffing with oil and black smoke

[Peepants78]

Check out these beauties!
I tried the nicky (and munchie!) method tonight. Absolutely gorgeous. My family thank you for sharing

I'm going to try adding a few herbs for variation tomorrow next time.

[Seriouslyffs]

I think you probably did use too much oil. They look tasty though.
When are you trying again?

[mrstowers]

Always always always cook them in the juices from the meat. End of.

[Munchiesandmunchkins]

Thanks Nikki1978 for linking to my blog post. Glad they worked for you, I've made many roasties over the years but these were by far my best.x

[trixymalixy]

Agree with checking your oven temp. My fan oven is way hotter than on the dial. My roasties used to be awful until I turned the oven down.

My shameful secret is that I don't actually like roast potatoes. I have never heard of anyone else like me! Most people are horrified when I confess.

[3boys3dogshelp]

Make sure you don't have too many potatoes in your roasting tin. They need to be a bit spread out so that the oil stays hot when you put the potatoes in. Cool oil = leathery roasties.

[Ormally]

2 ways of cheating, although one of them is not going to be terribly compatible with Christmas dinner:

1. Saute potatoes in a pan with a fairly generous amount of oil - cut them up much smaller (think squared big chips), then finish off in the oven for browning up purposes. Use an oven tray, not anything ceramic or glass as that won't cut it.
   
   
2. Dry roast. Small potatoes (new/salad ones), halved and positioned low in the oven on an oiled baking tray - this is the one that isn't compatible as it may not fit in with roasting other things. Turn a few times until crisp and soft inside. They turn out like little jacket potatoes.
   
   All other advice about the shaking up thing is true, however. Also, in general, don't cut them too large - quarters, say.

[Solo]

Reheated roast potatoes taste stale in my experience. What you can do is peel and parboil, drain and fluff, cool and freeze. You can roast from frozen but make sure you haven't got a lot of frost/ice on them or you'll water down the oil/fat.

[BaffledSomeMore]

Ooh no, I don't like reheated roast potatoes sparkles
The only way of reheating them is in a fry up the following day imo :)

[Sparkles07]

Thank God I'm not the only one!! I LOVE roasties, but can not make them usually, then i followed a recipe online on bbc, and where i was going wrong was not enough fat in the pan to cover the spuds, and not turning them every 15 mins the recipe suggested, and they were the best roasties ever! oracticing them every week at the moment so they're perfect for the big day. Does anyone know, do roasties reheat well?? can I cook the day before?

[nikki1978]

I tried this method yesterday and they were amazing. Something about lurpack cooking liquid made them better than just run of the mill oil. So good I ate about 15!

munchiesandmunchkins.com/tag/lurpak-cooking-liquid/

[Cecilychampagne]

This is my mum (champion roastie maker)'s recipe:
Cut potatoes into pieces. About 5cm not too small. Turn the oven to as hot as it will go. Put roasting pan with corn oil covering the bottom and turn on potatoes and hour before you want to eat. Par boil potatoes 5 min, drain, put lid on pan and shake to roughen edges so you get crispy bits. Put in roasting pan spoon over oil and leave them too it.
You need a hot oven and oil/fat with a high smoking point. And lots of practice.

[CallieG]

I add the cut potatoes to Boiling water and boil for 5 minutes, remove and drain immediately. Allow them to cool before frying.

[CallieG]

To my ultimate shame I have never been able to make decent roast potatoes, they usually end up losing their crispy outer surface it breaks off in the pan and they end up mushy. I worked in a Bistro for a while and we used to par boil the spuds and drain them, when someone ordered a roast dinner we would just pop the required number in the deep fryer they always came out nice and crispy outside and lovely and fluffy inside, so I started doing it that way at home , pumpkin goes straight in the fryer with no par boiling needed, I found this method so easy with 7 to feed so I have continued to do it that way for decades, I use lard not vegetable oil.

[MrsCosmopilite]

Get the oven on, and put in the tin you'll be roasting potatoes in.
Peel your potatoes - pop the ones you've peeled and cut into some cold water whilst you finish them off.
Rinse off the potatoes
Put a pan of lightly salted water on to boil
Put potatoes into the boiling water.
Get plain flour out of the cupboard, and any herbs you may want to use for flavour (I often use Rosemary and a pinch of cayenne pepper)
Put some solid fat (lard or vegetable) in the hot pan, put it back in the oven.
When the potatoes are just getting soft take them off the heat and drain out the water (keep some aside for gravy if need be). Keep them in the pan.
Sprinkle a pinch or two of flour and any other seasonings over the now drained potatoes.
Shake vigorously to 'break up' the edges. If your potatoes fall to pieces you've overboiled them.
Your potatoes are now slightly fluffed and are floured/seasoned.
Put the potatoes into the hot fat in the hot pan. Turn them with a fork to coat with fat.
Sprinkle over any herbs
Roast for around 30 minutes.

[Spinnerbear]

My husband parboils them, and then fries them in the deep fat fryer. Perfect every time!

[wol1968]

One other thing. Get yourself an oven thermometer (from a hardware store or online). It's a revelation. I found that my oven was heating at least 20 degrees over (fan) - no wonder stuff was coming out burnt on the outside! If your oven thermostat's a bit dodgy it may be difficult to find the right temperature setting on the dial, a bit like a tricky shower attachment.

[florascotia]

Asterix is a variety of potato specially bred to produce high yields for the chip-making market. greenvale.co.uk/seed/varieties/asterix/

The high dry matter means that Asterix should be better than salad/waxy potatoes for roasting - but not necessarily that they will be fluffy.

Of course, famously fluffy varieties like King Edward and Maris Piper would be the best (as older varieties, they are also more flavourful than some new ones - tho' I don't know about Asterix) , but I don't know whether they are ever available in rural Sweden. This is probably too far much information, but here is a list of other fluffy varieties:
www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/other-varieties-chart

and here is a list of UK common supermarket varieties, with their characteristics:
www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/common-varieties-chart

[Catilla]

I don't think anyone has mentioned my technique, which I think came from Delia... after fluffing the boiled potatoes by shaking in the (drained) saucepan, I pour the hot oil over the potatoes, and then pour the whole lot into the tray for roasting. Much easier and better coating than having to turn loads of potatoes which all have corners etc.

[Lubi24]

As people have said, par boil, sprinkle some semolina!!! Over it. Then shake in pan to rough edges It works honestly. Let me know if you try it and it works for you GL xxx


www.nigella.com/recipes/view/perfect-roast-potatoes

[EbwyIsUpTheDuff]

parboil.

I cut into mine then roll them about in the oil.

then chuck them in the oven for as long as possible (about 2 hours usually), stir them every so often when you check the meat.

[kinkyfuckery]

Haven't read the thread, so sorry if I repeat.

I just chop some (unpeeled) potatoes, bung them on a baking tray - spray with Frylite and sprinkle some garlic powder and dried mixed herbs on them. Put them in the oven for however long they take (maybe 45 mins? I don't bother parboiling - that's more washing up!)

My roast tatties are gorgeous!

[boredaccountant]

I was always terrible at roast potatoes, but I think I have them sorted now. A few things I have learned:

1. Use Maris Piper/King Edward. Cut them into relatively small chunks. Too big and they end up like baked potatoes, all mushy in the middle.
   
2. Parboil, but only 5 minutes or so otherwise they go like mash when you fluff them.
   
3. Drain, lid on pan, shake, so fluffy. This makes sure the outside is crispy, not chewy.
   
4. Put into hot oil, but make sure it's just enough oil to coat the potatoes properly. Otherwise they can be too oily. Get rid of any excess oil
   
5. Turn a couple of times while cooking
   
6. Cook for about 50mins to an hour.
   

I've heard people suggest doing the potatoes in advance and then you can just reheat them in the oven and they apparently come out really nice and crisp.