Roast Potatoes: Your best techniques, please

[WinkyWinkola]

Yes, I'm sure it's been done loads before but my potatoes never come out roasted. They just seem fluffy and bit crusty.

Please can you help? I've bought goose fat to help this year.

I cheat and cook them in the chip pan.

goose fat will def help. Have very hot oven too

Goose fat is a great investment for crispy spuds! I par boil them for about 20 mins, then drain them, put them back in the pot and shake them, to break up the edges, iyswim.

Pop them in the hot goose fat and put them up high in the oven. The length of time in the oven, depends on your oven, but you'll know when they're done!

Use King Edward or Maris pipers,
Part boil, I then shake mine in some flour.
Use goose fat , hot until it spits.
Shake the pots in the hot fat, roast at 230 for 45 mins.

Par boil them till slightly fluffy round the edges.

Drain, put back in pan with lid on and shake vigorously to roughen up edges a bit more.

Tip them into really hot fat and quickly bung in oven. I always heat the fat in the tin in the oven while parboiling the potatoes, then put the tin on the hob to keep it hot while I tip the potatoes in.

I do the above but also find a good teaspoon of salt in the cooking water helps - yes I know too much salt is bad for you

HOw much fat? Just enough to coat each spud? Or should the fat be deep in the roasting tray?

Maris pipers, boiled (water HAS to ahve salt in)for about 10 mins or till edges look fluffy)

drain and as you drain shake up a bit

Whatever fat you like, I use flore oil and just poor over the oil whilst in the pain after draining

put into hot oven, after half an hour shake around a bit cook for an other 15-30mins depending on size.

enjoy

Enough, that you can tip the pan slightly and scoop up a spoonful to put over the top of them during roasting.

I'm the same as aMerryScot par boil them and then wack them in the fryer (might be a lazy scottish thing

Great. Thank you very much. Will hope my roasties turn out roasted this year.

Par boil but only 5-10 mins in the boiling water- if they are too cooked they will just fall apart when you drain them.

Put the oil in the roasting tin in a very hot oven for 5 mins.

Shake pots in collander to rough up the edges then toss into the roasting pan and spoon oil over them.

Roast for about 45mins.

I discovered a trick the other week - after parboiling and draining, leave to cool before putting them in the oven - turn out super crispy!

My method is from the Delia book = par boil pots for about 10 mins, drain - then I put oil (rapeseed as it's healthier) into the potato pan, until it's sizzling hot, and then chuck in the spuds, remove from heat and shake to make fluffy, then put on baking tray or with roast

It varies on how they turn out according to the pots - am using reds today so will let you know!

Or the Scottish thing of always having the chip pan on the go, mozette!

I just do what the Heston B book tells me to do. In brief; Maris pipers, boil till they are quite soft, shake in collander to get edges fluffy, then an hour or so in oven in olive oil, adding rosemary and garlic for the last 10 mins.

Aunt Bessies

Leave them in for a good long time.
Also Delia's way: boil & drain, then return to the pan & shake with the lid on to fluff up. Then pour over oil which has been heating in your baking tray in the oven, tip out back into baking tray and hey presto! they are already coated in oil, no turning & faffing required.

tis the par boiling/bash round a colander/hot fat combo that gives you perfect roasted /crsip and fluffy on the inside potatoes.

and really hot oven

if this is for Xmas day, i do the turkey first, take it out, then get the oven really hot and put spuds and parsnips in

I heat the fat up in the oven while parboiling them. Parboil them for about 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and shake. Leave them to cool for a while and then sprinkle semolina over them. Put them in the roasting tin with the fat, make sure they're coated and then they go in the hot oven for about 45 mins - 1 hour. They are always very crispy and golden on the outside, very fluffy on the inside.

I followed my normal way (see below) and then did Jamies trick with th potatoe masher, just gently squashing them a bit. I do think it made them a bit nicer.

btw I never baste them.