ROAST POTATOES HELP!!

[Thewiseoneincognito]

MN, DP and I are considering swapping the usual M&S Roast potatoes for homemade but we want them to be amazing and we’ve never done them before. How can we guarantee amazing Ones? Which variety is best to use too?

Also same for Yorkshire puddings….

Please and thank you 🎅🏼

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Thank you for taking the time to help me out everyone, loving these suggestions!

How deep should the tin or dish be?

I agree about the variety - Maris Piper is the way forward.

I roughly chop them, more edges/different surfaces the crispier they get #science. Heat goose fat in the tray (200C) while they parboil. Once they're ready (not cooked the whole way through), drain them and give them a toss around the dry pan. Dump them in to the hot oil, sprinkle salt, thyme and chuck in a couple of garlic cloves that aren't chopped but have been squashed under a knife/the heel of your hand. In the oven for 45 mins.

I use a tray that's 2-3 inches deep, just because that's what I've got. I wouldn't do them on a regular baking tray, the oil would get everywhere.

Parboiled the day before until you can poke a sharp knife into them quite easily, & chuff them about a bit when draining as if they're rough round the edges you get crispy bits.

Then store in the fridge.

Fat heated to as hot as you possibly can in a sturdy metal tin AFTER the meat is out & resting. Goose or duck fat if you have/eat it, if not something bland like sunflower oil - NOT olive oil as it doesn't like being that hot. Chuck in some fresh rosemary & sea salt.

Fire in your cold spuds which will sizzle like crazy.

One hour in the oven (turn it down a bit), flipping them over half way, if they're big chunks - if you are getting 4 rather than 2 out of an average potato because you like smaller pieces, 40 minutes should do it.

Transfer to a warm serving platter to take to the table rather than sloshing the tin of hot fat around. It's dangerous to carry it about & it makes them soggy & greasy if you leave them sitting in it.

Roast potatoes:
Chop potatoes rinse them to get rid of any residual starch
Par boil in salted water.
While they are boiling heat cold pressed rapeseed oil in a roasting tin with half a bulb of garlic and some fresh thyme and rosemary.
Drain potatoes into a colander and place a tea towel over them to steam dry.
Remove tin from oven and remove garlic and herbs
Shake potatoes to rough the edges and add to the oil.
Cook for around 40 mins turning at least once

Yorkshire puddings:
One cup of plain flour
One cup of milk
2 eggs
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour
Heat oil in Yorkshire pudding tiny- oil should be smoking
Add mixture to tin - nit too much otherwise they'll be stodgy
Don't open the oven until they're cooked ( cook at 180 degrees for about 10 mins )

Why do people always question the Yorkshire puddings... you can have them with any roast meat... just like mint sauce

Goose fat is a game changer - put it in the oven and get it really hot before tipping the part boiled spuds in

@Mrsjayy

Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner what is that about

We always have Yorkshire puddings at Christmas. They're definitely part of Christmas dinner!

The best potatoes are Albert Bartlett ones.

My main tip is -- do not be stingy with the fat, whichever one you use.
(For me it's either goose fat or beef dripping. )
Parboil the spuds and shake well in a colander when draining them, as many PPs say. Salt. Tip into a hot roasting tin containing the already melted fat.
Roast for 40 minutes to an hour in a medium oven. Turn up the heat for the last 10 minutes to crisp and brown them, if necessary.

Follow ‘poppycooks’

She explains on tiktok how to make the best roast potatoes, cut them big for larger surface area for starters.
Watch her tiktok explaining the science behind the perfect roast spud

I came on to say get them from M n S which I see is absolutely no help 😂

@RJnomore1

I came on to say get them from M n S which I see is absolutely no help 😂

🤣 we were both saying the M&S ones always tastes the same and we’re never completely wowed by them only by their convenience. My BIL makes the best ones but contingency planned separate dinners incase either household tests positive which means no BIL spuds 😐

1- larger chunks for more surface area- to get crispy potatoes
2- heavily salt the pan you’re par boiling them in to lock in the nutrients and flavour
3- steam dry with a towel over colander for about 10-15 mins - makes them more fluffy on the outside
4- make sure the oil you’re using is really hot when you add potatoes
5- only turn them once half way through cooking.

I did once make some sort of par boiled twice roasted done in goose fat and semolina ones that were admittedly amazing but the cost and hassle meant they weren’t THAT amazing compared to just bunging them in the oven!

I do as most other posters have said on here but I sprinkle a chicken/veggie oxo on the potatoes too

@Mrsjayy

Yorkshire puddings with Christmas dinner what is that about

It's about the perfect Christmas Dinner!!

If you don't want them, don't have them, but you're missing out!!

@PostMenPatWithACat

Are the people having Yorkshire puddings have beef instead of turkey?

No. Just to add to your confusion I'm vegetarian & sometimes I just have Yorkshire's & marrow fat peas!! (Mid week, not for Christmas!!)

King Edward potatoes cooked in goose fat gives the best result I find.

Maris piper spuds. Chop them ensuring uneven shapes.

Hot hot oven 220° and get your oil ferociously smoking hot. Goose fat is The best but any other time of year I use rapeseed oil

Par boil. Drain on a colander and put over the pan to steam/drain for a few mins. Give a good shake to rough the edges up. (Nigella suggests semolina I think it is to make them extra crunchy. I've never needed it). Add to your hot oil, season and leave in the oven for 60mins. Longer if there e still looking aneamic.

No. Just to add to your confusion I'm vegetarian & sometimes I just have Yorkshire's & marrow fat peas!! (Mid week, not for Christmas!!)

Me too!!

And practice first with nothing else going on. Try some tonight.

My preference is to turn the oven up after the meat has come out for resting to about 180 or 200 degrees for the last 20 minutes. Loads of good advice here (apart from the breadcrumbs), but in turn:

Peeled, bigger not smaller
Boiled for 5 or 10 minutes.
Left to dry, let the steam all disappear, about 15 minutes
Roughed up a bit
Into hot fat, turn them over in the fat to give them a bit of cover
Turn them once
Oven up for the last few minutes.
Serve on a very warm side plate.

controversial - I make great roasties but don't par-boil..... :)

heat up mix of olive and veg/sunflower oil to very hot in baking tray - peel potatoes and salt them, add to the very hot fat with couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. Baste/turn the potatoes throughout the cooking - approx 40 mins at 180.

Dripping is good for roasties it has a much higher burn temp than most oils or fats so you can cook at a very high temp and get nice crispy potatoes. I follow James Martin recipe. He fully boils spuds and recommends chopping raw potatoes into multi sided shapes, the more corners you have the better.
Always use King Edwards.
As for Yorkshire puddings, I’m a Yorkshire woman so they never fail. All measurements are done by eye. Again hot dripping is best.

Vegan roast potatoes

Prepare the potatoes the day before.
Use Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes.
Peel and cut up into even sized pieces.
Cook in a steamer for 10 - 15 mins
Cool off and put in freezer overnight (makes them extra crunchy)
To finish the potatoes off put oven at highest temperature
When it gets up to full heat add metal roasting tin with 5 cm depth olive oil. Leave tin in oven until oil smoking hot (about 5 mins)
Add frozen potatoes to oiled tin.
After 20 mins (or when potatoes start to brown) turn potatoes over & reduce oven temperature to 220c
Potatoes should be ready in 45 mins to I hr depending on size.