To think roast potatoes are much nicer not par boiled

[user1484493755]

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.

How much difference does the type of fat make? To me using goose fat doesn't make much difference to sunflower or vegetable oil.

I like goose or duck fat best & think they taste better.

I always parboil because I don't want to eat big round chips with my roast, I want roast potatoes!

Agree that lots of pubs dont parboil which is why they are just hard things and not as they should be.

Roast potatoes should be peeled.

You need to keep the skin on. This adds up to their deliciousness.

My DS2 insists on parboiled with a clove or two of garlic in the water with them. You then roast them in very hot oil and get a couple of cloves of roasted garlic as a bonus! Garlicy roasted potatoes...

I understand they are lovely. I don't like pototoes though...

But potatoes with skin on are wedges surely... or funny shape wedges..

Perhaps heretical to say on MN, but I don't get the roast potato love any more. I used to love them when I was a child, but perhaps my tastes have changed, and I often find them too oily now. I can eat one or two, but after that the moreishness has just gone. I still like roast parsnips though!

I do what I think are called Parmentier potatoes. One unpeeled big spud, scrubbed, dried and cut into inch cubes. Sautéed for ten minutes in olive oil and butter with salt and smoked paprika. Then transferred on to a heated baking tray and oven baked at a medium to high heat for about half an hour. You can also add bacon lardons and crushed garlic cloves for extra flavour. Works for me.

Depends on the potato. I like French-style roasties with little waxy potatoes just roasted in their skins, and I wouldn't parboil those.

Lots of the potatoes you describe sound nice but I would not consider them to be roast potatoes in the sense of "Sunday roast".

I consider them to be Sunday roast potatoes, just lazy ones! I agree it's nice to have parboiled crunchy fluffy ones with a roast, and I tend to do it if I cook for others.

I also love parmentier potatoes, and hasselback roasties. Neither of which need parboiling and go perfectly with a roast. But I'm a veggie anyway so don't eat "roast" as in the sense of meat, just a nice Sunday lunch with the rest of the trimmings and a tart or something.

Skin? Wtf?

Roast potatoes (like fondant potatoes) should be naked.

Skin?!

I am going to try these suggestions though

I use aunt Bessie's !

Doesn't it come down to whether you like a crisp surface? I think the point of par-boiling is so the outside of the potato is soft enough to rough up, which is how you get it to be crisp. My preference is King Edwards, par-boiled for 8-10 mins, add some flour and then shaken vigorously in the pan. I think hot oil basting makes a big difference, and finally cooked in a hot oven. But then, I like roast potatoes that threaten to buckle the fork.

I like a crisp surface and I agree parboiling is better for this. But I like the texture of non parboiled too.

Par boiled skinless = Roast Potatoes
Skin on and not par boiled = Potato wedges

If they've not been parboiled they're not roast potatoes.
Parboil (or even boil until falling part).
Drain, lid back on, shake.
Into hot fat.

They're one of the things reliably eaten in vast quantities by every member of this household (except the cat).

I don't agree that they are potato wedges. They are potatoes roasted in the same amount of oil that you would roast parboiled potatoes in and cut in a similar way. I don't think roast potatoes have to be parboiled.

Peel and cut in half lengthways. Heat up fat and put them in raw. Then brush over melted butter which has been mixed with white onion soup. Bake.

You can thank me later.

I parboil but toss them in cold fat before roasting, not hot. It gets rid of the need to handle hot fat and IMHO they are just as good. I think it's a Jamie Oliver tip.

Mum used to just peel, wash, dry and cut into chunks, and chuck em in the oven all around the roast.

They were just gorgeous, so I do the same myself.

However, if I am feeling a bit "cooky" say for Christmas or something, I will steam for a few minutes and chuck in hot fat for about twenty minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and when cold put in the freezer. They turn out great too when finished off.

On the day though if I've none frozen, it's Mum's method all the way!