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Original poster

Roasting potatoes in advance?

26 replies

plinkplinkfizzpops · 18/12/2008 11:15

Anthea Turner was on TV this morning saying you can roast potatoes in advance for Christmas Day but didn't say anything more. I have some questions for anyone who has tried this:

What is your method?
Do they stay all crispy?
Can you do parsnips too?

I might give it a trial run beforehand as it would save some hassle and juggling of timings on the day but would be glad to hear from anyone who has tried it.

OP posts:
TheVirginGoober · 18/12/2008 11:16

NO!

They will be gross!

Original poster
plinkplinkfizzpops · 18/12/2008 11:44

That's what I thought but if Anthea says it's OK... I mean she doesn't look like the kind of woman with soggy spuds

OP posts:
flatmouse · 18/12/2008 11:45

I saw that too and thought
Happy to prep veg and have it bagged in fridge to save time, but you have to cook the meat so why worry about sticking roasties in as well.
V odd. Unless it's a bit like double cooking chips....?

wilbur · 18/12/2008 11:45

I think you can peel, parboil and then freeze them, so all you have to do on the day is tip them out and roast. I'm sure there was something in Good Housekeeping about it. I will go and have a google.

ComeOVeneer · 18/12/2008 11:48

If you are short of oven space/want to do something in advance I would consider cooking the turkey the day before. Slice it up and put it in a tray with a thin film of water and pop in the oven, the water turns to steam and evaporates, leaving hot moist turkey. Rehaeted roast pots are vile.

wilbur · 18/12/2008 11:54

Have just found this on a GH forum discussion frozen roasties:
--------
I would do what I do to make frozen chips. Par boil the potatoes until just cooked (more than you would normally), shake pan gently to make them fluff. In a polybag add some (olive) oil and perhaps a little salt (I don't salt the water to cook them in). Add the potatoes and while holding bag shut, rummage the bag about to coat the pots with the oil.
leave the bag open to cool. When cool, put in freezer (open freeze initially them on baking tray or in the bag with the bag open).
Cook from frozen. I can't remember exact times so i would suggest you look at timings on packets in the shops for a guide!
---------
Think I'm going to try this myself. There is also some discussion that occasionally you get black spots on the potatoes but this can be helped if you parboil them for longer than you would normally. HTH.

fircone · 18/12/2008 12:06

I did this last, a la Good Housekeeping.

Parboiled, shook to really fluff them up, then froze.

Roasted from frozen on day. They were really golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Best I've ever done.

Word of warning, though, is that they took AGES to cook through and I was cranking the oven up to volcano heat to get them to coincide with the rest of the dinner.

wilbur · 18/12/2008 12:08

How many ages, fircone? Like twice regular time? Was wondering if you can defrost first, but then thought this might invite sogginess.

deckthegirlandboywithholly · 18/12/2008 12:16

My mil used to do this.

She would plunge them into a deep fat fryer to crisp them up! Weren't too bad.

Better than her usual attempts at roasties which according to her take at least 5/6 hours to cook, which results in something as hard as stone, but completely hollow!

fircone · 18/12/2008 12:21

Well over an hour to re-heat, if I remember, at mega heat.

MrsWilburton · 18/12/2008 12:21

I mean what are you so busy doing that you cant roast some potatoes?

fircone · 18/12/2008 12:23

Well, I pre-cooked and froze them in order to make them extra-crispy, as suggested by GH.

MarlaCarolSinger · 18/12/2008 12:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsWilburton · 18/12/2008 12:28

20 minutes?
Pshaw

MarlaCarolSinger · 18/12/2008 12:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wilbur · 18/12/2008 12:33

It's more a psychological thing for me, Mrs Wilburton, one thing I can file under "done" in my Christmas-strewn brain. Plus I hate peeling potatoes so would rather get that out of the way. And then, of course, there's that extra glass of wine while watching the children tear through their gifts.

ChippyMyrrhton · 18/12/2008 12:39

I have done the GH frozen thing the last three years - peeled, parboiled and froze mine the other day. Will tip into hot goose fat and cook from frozen. Really does work!

TisTheSeasonToBeSolo · 18/12/2008 14:54

After the floods last year, my mum decided to make sure that no spuds were wasted etc. She did the same as Chippy and they are just fab. They go really crispy and are just delicious!

TheRealMrsJohnSimm · 18/12/2008 18:36

Yep, another GH follower here . Saving 20 minutes on Christmas Day is like saving an hour on any regular day IMO.

jojoisamum · 18/12/2008 18:42

Aunt Bessie makes mine. Delicious!

Original poster
plinkplinkfizzpops · 19/12/2008 10:16

How long do you cook them from frozen Chippy?

Still in two minds about this, thanks for all the replies though.

OP posts:
flatmouse · 19/12/2008 12:38

Interesting, would like definitive time/temperature please from those who have done more than once (not discounting your experience fircone, just wanted more data!!)

Thanks

TisTheSeasonToBeSolo · 19/12/2008 13:21

No idea! I just bunged them in with the chicken throughout the whole cooking time. Never time anything really! but obviously it would probably be about an hour and a half. Mu always cooks hers separately, so I'd imagine it'd be about an hour...

ChippyMyrrhton · 19/12/2008 19:09

Dunno, I tend to bung in very hot oven once the turkey is out for about an hour...will investigate GH xmas back copies for the original instructions. Back later.

baublerock · 19/12/2008 19:18

I make the best roasties ever (modesty was never my strong point ) - best way to make them really tasty, crispy on the top and tacky on the bottom is to get a big basting tin, pour oil in, warm in the oven then take it out and pour in some bisto gravy granules, stir them in and you get a brown runny oil. Put in the potatoes and make sure they are all coated in the oil then cook, turning every now and then. Don't add salt - they don't need it!! They come out fab every time!