Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Tell me your tips for great roasties please!

32 replies

Muchtoomuchtodo · 01/10/2016 16:50

I'm going to try to cook regular roast dinners for our family - something I've never done by myself Blush.

I'm happy with the meat and veg as I cook those all at different times but I have no experience with roast potatoes!

Please pass on your top tips for fluffy in the middle, crispy on the outside roasties.

Thanks!

OP posts:
panad317 · 01/10/2016 16:57

Par-boil the potatoes
Goose fat in the oven
Drain the water and shake pan until potatoes are fluffy
Add salt and cracked black pepper
Place in the tin with goose fat, making sure all potatoes are covered in it!
Yum!

icouldabeenacontender · 01/10/2016 16:58

I would also add a little bit of flour to the potatoes when you give them a good shake.

WordGetsAround · 01/10/2016 16:59

Maris Piper potatoes peeled and cut. Place in cold water in pan. Bring up to the boil quickly and keep them there for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, oven on at 220 (fan), loads of rapeseed oil in baking tray and in oven heating up.
After 8 minutes, put potatoes in a colander. Leave to steam for about 5 minutes. Rough them up a bit (shake). Bring oil out of oven, move quickly while oil is hot! Put potatoes in oil then use tongs to turn them over and give them a good covering of oil. Put backin oven ASAP for 35 minutes. Turn potatoes after 20 minutes. This will definitely work!!

Original poster
Muchtoomuchtodo · 01/10/2016 16:59

Thanks - par boil for about 10 minutes?

I've got lard, no goose fat. Do you think that will do?

OP posts:
CalmItKermitt · 01/10/2016 17:00

Parboil until the very outside is going soft.

Drain, shake pan, sprinkle on some semolina, toss until evenly coated.

Tip into roasting tray of very very hot goose fat. Turn so all are evenly coated in fat.

Roast for at least 40 mins or until sufficiently golden brown.

Timeforabiscuit · 01/10/2016 17:01

Lard will be fine, but make sure it is really hot and your potatoes are roughed up so the outside goes crispy rather than solid.

ShyTallSun · 01/10/2016 17:03

Oven at 220 fan, oil in tin preheating in oven. We use crisp 'n' dry. Par boil spuds til soft on edges, drain, shake then chuck into preheated oil. Quickly spread them out and put in oven. Turn down to about 180 and leave alone for about 30 mins before turning them over. Then about 20 more mins and done.

DramaAlpaca · 01/10/2016 17:07

I use floury potatoes, usually Roosters. Peel them & cut them to size.

Parboil or steam them for 10 minutes. I think floury spuds are best steamed.

Shake the pan to rough up the surfaces of the spuds. For extra crispiness you can go over them with the prongs of a fork - this is my DM's tip for really crunchy roasties.

Have the oven nice & hot, about 220c & pre heat fat in a baking tray - I use vegetable oil.

Add the spuds, baste them with oil, give them 30 minutes in the oven. I baste them again and turn them over after 20 minutes.

Always works.

Original poster
Muchtoomuchtodo · 01/10/2016 17:07

Wow, quite a difference in opinion on cooking time.

I've got somewhere to start and can tweak a bit I guess while the meat rests a bit.

Thanks for your ideas, I'm looking forward to it already!

OP posts:
gingerbreadmanm · 01/10/2016 17:11

i cut mine fairly snall, about 4cm diameter. heat olive oil in a roasting tin at about 200°c in electric oven then add the potatoes and baste. place in oven then check and turn every 20mins-ish till they are golden. perfect crunch and soft inside.

i ysed to parboil, shake, cover in floor then roast in goosefat but tried the method above recently which are much better.

i also roast kale. again in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. beautiful.

also add a teaspoon of sugar to brussel sprouts to take away the bitterness.

gingerbreadmanm · 01/10/2016 17:14

for quick roasties i cut them smaller and cook them in the deep fat fryer.

foodiefil · 01/10/2016 17:21

I do as above - parboil, drain, cool, dust with plain flour, then in a roasting pan with (preferably) goose fat but the oil should sizzle when you put your potatoes on it - turn them all over so they're coated (work fast) and don't overcrowd the tin. In my experience they take longer than you think! I'd usually have them on a lower shelf for maybe 90 minutes while the meat finishes cooking. Patience is the key really. Enjoy

cdtaylornats · 01/10/2016 21:34

Sprinkle them with a couple of tablespoons of semolina instead of flour

startingtolooklikemother · 01/10/2016 21:51

Or try the frozen ones from McCain, bloody marvellous and hard to tell the difference completely missed the point but hey

hesterton · 01/10/2016 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PosiePootlePerkins · 01/10/2016 22:02

Another tip, to keep the oil in the tray really hot while you add potatoes, is to put it over the hob just on a low heat. You then get that nice sizzle when you tip the spuds in and can give them a quick baste in piping hot oil before you put them in the oven. Just be careful as it spits a fair bit!

hugoagogo · 01/10/2016 22:03

I microwave my king Edwards or maris pipers 6 at a time for about 10 minutes on full. I leave them to cool then peel, cut into biggish chunks then dust in cornflour. Then add to a heated tray with rapeseed oil for about 25 minutes at 210 C.

stouensbay · 01/10/2016 22:14

I find goose fat too rich. It makes me feel ill. As long as the oil is really really hot before the potatoes go in and they have a rough surface for the oil to attach, I'd say olive is fine (or lard).

chattygranny · 01/10/2016 22:16

I use olive oil and or goose fat. Not special
Olive oil just regular. Make sure fat is spitting hot.

Allalonenow · 01/10/2016 22:17

King Edwards make the best roast potatoes, nice and floury variety. For a good crispy finish do them in a seperate tray to the meat, as the meat juices can make them slightly soft. Get yourself some goose fat, jars (rather than tins) of it are the most convenient to use.

Statelychangers · 01/10/2016 22:21

I get best results with king edwards - good flavour and texture.

wherethefuckisthefuckingtuna · 01/10/2016 22:29

I always chuck a few unpeeled cloves of garlic in the pan too. And some sprigs of fresh rosemary.

I'm probably going to be shot down in flames for this - but if you don't have semolina to hand, a tablespoon of dried smash sprinkled over them before they go in the oven makes them reeeeeally crispy.

Original poster
Muchtoomuchtodo · 02/10/2016 21:29

I kept it simple and they were great!

Parboiled for 10 mins, shook in pan with a bit of plain flour then in the oven at 180 degrees for about 45 minutes in lard, basted midway.

They were crispy and lush. A success. Thanks everybody for your ideas.

OP posts:
Allalonenow · 02/10/2016 21:40

Oh excellent, and so lovely to have an update on this type of thread!

Now, how are your Yorkshire puddings Muchtoo?

MarklahMarklah · 02/10/2016 21:41

I just did some nice ones this evening.
Par boiled for about 8 mins, until the water was a little starchy and the very outside of the potatoes was feeling a bit soft.
Drained the potatoes, put them back in the pan they'd be boiled in and sprinkled with flour that I'd mixed with salt and paprika. Gave the pan a shake (lid on) and sprinkled again.
Then they were tipped into a roasting tin of hot fat (oven on highest temperature), and turned to coat them. I added a splash of garlic oil.
cooked them for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through and adding some chopped rosemary & a pinch of sea salt.