To think roast potatoes are much nicer not par boiled

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I've always cooked roast potatoes by soaking them in cold water, drying them and putting them straight into hot fat to roast. The resulting roast potato is absolutely delicious.

I found it that technically you're supposed to par boil them and then put them in the fat. I tried it and I just don't think the potato tastes as good this way. The potato loses flavour as it's been boiled and the skin is hard and soaks up too much fat.

Is this an horrendous opinions that I have?

My grandfather was a chef at a top restaurant and always taught me to roast potatoes without par boiling them first.

I never par boil them (too lazy!) so I love it when I get a par boiled roast potato.

I think they are both great.

Mmmm roast potatoes

I also never par boil solely due to laziness. Though I might start claiming it is because a chef at a top restaurant told me they tasted better that way.

I prefer them pat boiled. I give them a shake in the pan after boiling them for about ten minutes.

I've always par boiled them I honestly thought everyone did. I will try your way as my last lot were too crispy and fatty tbh I only ate half before I gave up. I know everyone has their own way of doing things. I have a friend who tosses them in semolina and mil in flour (fowel claggy spuds beleugh )

I agree, I'm generally too lazy to bother but it's a different texture when you par boil and I love both styles.

I microwave them whole in their skins for a few minutes and then cut them up into the hot fat.
Sprinkle with rock salt.
Roasties with skins on are delicious !

I'm interested to know what soaking them in cold water does?

I put mine in cold water, bring to the boil and boil for a couple of minutes, drain, then put them back in the pan with the lid on and give them a good old shake. If I'm cooking meat which doesn't have much fat then I'll add some oil before shaking. I think the shaking is a Jamie Oliver thing. Not sure what it does - helps them absorb more fat? Gives more crispy bits?

I find the skin is too crispy and greasy par boiled. When not par boiled they taste like large homemade chips.

They're incredible!

The idea is that the cold water helps remove some starch making them taste nicer.

The shaking gives more crispy bits

I think it must be down to technique too though. My mum never used to par boil and her roast potatoes were so solidly greasy they'd regularly just shatter as you tried to cut them and go skittering off across the table. They tasted of oil and disappointment. The only way to handle them was to drown them in serious amounts of gravy and eat them last of all after they'd lost some of their dangerous tendencies. We still ate them though, who can waste a potato!

I always soak, par-boil then shake them up before roasting. The potatoes aren't as crunchy if they aren't par boiled.
There's lamb dish I cook with potatoes roasted with the lamb. These are not par-boiled and although they taste delicious because of the lamb fat they are not what I'd call a proper roast potato.

You always soak homemade chips before frying to remove the starch, so soaking would to the same for roasties.

I think the par boil for a few minutes softens the outside of the spud so as then shaking it in the saucepan 'fluffs' up the spud, which produces a crunchier outside.

I think the most important thing is really hot fat.

I par boil as it makes it quicker.

I never do the hot fat thing though and I make amazing roast potatoes!

What do you mean SKIN?

Roast potatoes should be peeled.

I always par boil in salty water, it just adds another layer of flavour and I do think fluffing them up a little on the outside makes them more crispy.

I par steam mine rather than par boiling.

I steam them for ten minutes, then shake the pan to get crispy edges before putting them into hot fat in the oven. I might fluff up the edges with a fork sometimes to get them even crispier, as that's what my DM taught me to do.

My roast potatoes are legendary, or so my DC tell me

I don't parboil, soak or peel them and they're always delicious.

Mine are par boiled, always. My husband trained as a chef at the Savoy and says he prefers my potatoes. Not greasy, not hard but perfect.

Par boiled in salted water, drained then put outside for 10 minutes for a blast of cold air, shake, straight into fat heated to as high as your oven will go, turn down and cook until beautiful.

I never boil them first. I just wack them in the oven with a bit of garlic, oil and salt. I like them slightly well-done, with a bit of crunch and a bit of a chew.

Always parboiled. And parsnips.

I neither parboil or peel my potatoes and they are delicious. I always make far too many so that we have a bowlful in the fridge to eat cold. I make them with lots of oil, loads of salt and pepper and a hefty sprinkling of paprika. Not the healthiest ever but who cares when they taste that good!

I par-boil them before the hot fat, but my trick for amazing crispness without fattiness is to cook them relatively early, take them out once done & drain them of fat & let them cool on the side before popping them back into the oven for 10 minutes after the meat comes out.

Just perfect - no chance of over-cooking them & any steam from the meat making them soggy while cooking them together is dried off.

My gran never used to parboil. They were horrible

I think a lot of gastropubs/ restaurants also don't parboil, hence their roast potatoes not being very nice, or at least not as nice as (my) home done ones