Perfect Traditionally English Roast Potatoes Recipes

Steps:

• Peel and quarter potatoes.
• Place in a saucepan with water and a pinch of the salt.
• Bring to a boil and simmer them for 5-6 mins to slightly soften.
• Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400°F.
• When the potatoes have simmered drain them thoroughly in a colander shaking to roughen edges.
• Let sit for a few mins to dry.
• Pour just enough vegetable oil into a roasting pan (large enough to allow space around the potatoes) to cover bottom and heat in oven for a few minutes.
• Gently place potatoes into the hot oil and coat them with it evenly.
• Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the potatoes.
• Every so often baste the potatoes in the oil to prevent drying (try not to move potatoes).
• Turn potatoes once or twice (no more) halfway through (after 20 mins or so) to ensure even cooking.
• Cook for 30-60 mins until gold and crispy (observe closely once near end).

Steps:

• Par-boil the potatoes first.
• Once they are peeled and cut into similar sizes (small potatoes in two, large ones in four), put the potatoes into cold, salted water and bring to the boil. As soon as they start boiling, boil for about 5 to 6 minutes, then drain all the water off (keeping some for the gravy later), let some of the steam evaporate off, then put the lid on securely and shake the potatoes in the pan until the edges are roughened and fluffed up.
• Add the flour and shake again, to coat all the potatoes in a thin coating of flour. This is what will absorb the hot oil to make a crisp surface as the potatoes roast. Leave the lid off now so they dry a little until the oil is ready.
• Heat the oil first.
• In a roasting pan, that is large enough to take the potatoes in a single layer, put enough vegetable oil, duck fat or goose fat to cover the bottom with ease. The potatoes mustn't be bathed in the oil, so keep it less than ½ cm or ¼ inch deep.
• Put the tray into the hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 10 minutes before the potatoes need to go inches Once the oil is smoking hot, put the potatoes in so they sizzle and turn them around so they are all coated in the hot fat/oil, then return the tray to the oven to roast. The potatoes can be turned two or three times during cooking.
• Timing.
• The potatoes need to stay in the hot oven until the very last minute when you are ready to serve lunch. If they hang around keeping warm they lose their crisp edge and gradually dwindle into leathery bullets. They need 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 200°C/400°F to reach optimum crispiness. Time the meat to be ready 10 minutes before them, so it can rest, you can make the gravy and summon the troops to table, and only then produce the potatoes still sizzling from the oven, and sprinkled with freshly milled sea salt.
• (If people are late in arriving for lunch, the potatoes can take another 10-15 minutes getting even more crispy in the oven, but after that I'd just get on and eat them without the latecomers!).
• Roasting tin.
• I get the crispiest results from my enamel roasting tins. Pyrex or glass trays result in softer, less crispy potatoes. Metal trays are also excellent for roasting potatoes.
• Temperature.
• Keep the hottest part of the oven for the potatoes. Juggling the roast meat, roast potatoes and everything in a small oven is tricky but the potatoes will only get crisp if they can roast in blazing heat for a while. If all else fails, when the meat comes out, turn the oven up to the highest heat and put the potatoes on the top shelf for a blasting. Last on the list of emergency remedies, put them under a hot grill (broiler) for the last five minutes while you are getting the table ready.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F).
• Place lard or oil in roasting tin and put in middle rack of oven.
• Boil Kettle.
• Peel potatoes.
• Chop into quarters (approx 4 cm cubes).
• Par Boil potatoes for 10 minutes with salt.
• Drain potatoes in a colander.
• Shake potatoes until edges are furry (approx 15 seconds).
• Remove roasting tin from oven.
• Carefully place potatoes into hot fat of roasting tin; WARNING, This step is requires caution as fat is at 220°C.
• Place roasting tin, with potatoes back in the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes depending on the size of your potato pieces.
• After 20 minutes turn the potatoes so browning occurs on a different side.
• Potatoes should be crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.