Everyone thinks their roasties are the best!
Discussion
Well, as of today, I'm sorry but my roast potatoes are king.
I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
Edited by Pferdestarke on Sunday 10th May 21:03
Edited by Pferdestarke on Sunday 10th May 21:04
Sounds good. I would recommend goose fat over duck fat though. Just as easy to buy, costs the same, but better taste in my and my various guests opinions over the years.
Alternatively go J Oliver and cook your meat of choice directly on the shelf in the oven and put a tray below to collect meat juices then use those juices to coat your potatoes for roasting.
Cheers
RM
Alternatively go J Oliver and cook your meat of choice directly on the shelf in the oven and put a tray below to collect meat juices then use those juices to coat your potatoes for roasting.
Cheers
RM
Pferdestarke said:
Well, as of today, I'm sorry but my roast potatoes are king.
I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
Normally out of laziness I 'hasselback' raw potatoes (peel and halve, cut vertical slots a few mm apart and chuck into hot fat), however I shall be certain to try steaming them before roughing and roasting. Good call. I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
Pferdestarke said:
Well, as of today, I'm sorry but my roast potatoes are king.
I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
Can you tell us how you did your crackling please!?I started with some Maris Pipers, peeled them and cut in to 'roastie-sized' chunks. Instead of doing my usual trick and plunging them in to salted boling water to par-boil and then 'chuff-up' the soft edges I steamed them. I gave them about 15 minutes and checked with a knife to see how soft they were. When they were cooked about half way through I took them out and roughed up the edges as per usual.
Having not been submerged in water they were much fluffier and drier meaning that less evaporation and more 'crisping' takes place in the oven.
I melted my duck fat in a thick-bottomed baking tray and put my part-cooked spuds in and gave them an even coating. Before putting them in a 200c oven I sprinkled some maldon salt on top of each potato and gave them about an hour and ten minutes. Every twenty mins or so I checked them and turned them over for even colouration.
When they were ready I placed them in a serving dish to accompany my slow-roasted pork shoulder, roast parsnips, steamed broccoli, carrots and giant rosemary-infused Yorkshire pudding.
My oh my, they were the best roast potatoes I've tried and I've eaten many good ones in my time.
Incidentally the pork shoulder, on the bone, was marvelous. I'd cooked it slowly at 140c for 4 hours and rested for 30 mins before removing the blade bone and carving easily. The crackling was great too.
How do you do yours? If you have never steamed your roasties before and have a steamer, give it a go!
Edited by Pferdestarke on Sunday 10th May 21:03
Edited by Pferdestarke on Sunday 10th May 21:04
Because I was slow-roasting I knew the temperature wouldn't be high enough to make the rind bubble and crackle so I removed it prior to cooking, salted it and left it uncovered in the fridge to dry. I then scored the remaining layer of fat on the pork joint and rubbed salt and pepper into that.
I then put the rind on a wire rack and roasted it over my potatoes in a 200c oven for about an hour.
Tye fat on the pork was also very crisp and was a damn site easier to carve than when crackling is in place.
I then put the rind on a wire rack and roasted it over my potatoes in a 200c oven for about an hour.
Tye fat on the pork was also very crisp and was a damn site easier to carve than when crackling is in place.
zakelwe said:
Steaming is interesting, I shall have to try it. Should work well for chips as well i guess. I'll do it this weekend.
Regards
Andy
I'm sure it will and I'd failed to apply the same logic to them as well. Might try some later now I have my deep fat fryer rigged up in the garageRegards
Andy
I'm also a keen afficionado of the honest Roast Spud.
Never tried steaming, so will give that a shot.
My particular variation is slightly off tangent, but results in rather delicious crunch.
Par-boil
chuff
beef dripping (that's been pre-heated in oven)
Coleman's English Mustard Powder - liberally sprinkled over oil coated spuds.
hot oven, periodic checking.
Never tried steaming, so will give that a shot.
My particular variation is slightly off tangent, but results in rather delicious crunch.
Par-boil
chuff
beef dripping (that's been pre-heated in oven)
Coleman's English Mustard Powder - liberally sprinkled over oil coated spuds.
hot oven, periodic checking.
I concurr with the OP's recipe, however, the addition of a sprinkling of Semolina as per Nigella Lawson's recipe starts the crisping process marvellously when you dump them into hot, sizzling goose fat, turning gently to baste, before slamming them hard and deep into a warm, welcoming oven.
Backsplash said:
I concurr with the OP's recipe, however, the addition of a sprinkling of Semolina as per Nigella Lawson's recipe starts the crisping process marvellously when you dump them into hot, sizzling goose fat, turning gently to baste, before slamming them hard and deep into a warm, welcoming oven.
Listen and learn! I will try that next time too
Was stuck on a train the other day talking to an agricultural engineer/potato farmer, who was going on about the various chemical changes which go on in a potato between when it's picked and when it hits your plate.
It was a long journey, but two tips I picked up from it, and will be trying:
- Keep your potatoes in the pitch dark as much as possible. Light makes them want to start photosynthesising, and you get a chemical change in the structure of the flesh long before you can detect any green colouration on the skin.
- Store you spuds cold, but not freezing. Potatoes apparently have their own anti-freeze mechanism which reduces the amount of starch in the flesh as you get colder and colder, so a cold stored spud should be a fluffier spud.
It was a long journey, but two tips I picked up from it, and will be trying:
- Keep your potatoes in the pitch dark as much as possible. Light makes them want to start photosynthesising, and you get a chemical change in the structure of the flesh long before you can detect any green colouration on the skin.
- Store you spuds cold, but not freezing. Potatoes apparently have their own anti-freeze mechanism which reduces the amount of starch in the flesh as you get colder and colder, so a cold stored spud should be a fluffier spud.
I've always been told that "water is the enemy" when it comes to preparing roasties...so I too steam them, when I do have to par boil I don't salt the water, again as I read somewhere that this can make getting a cripsy outside harder to achieve. I have recieved a standing ovation for my roasties when I fed the pub on a "guest chef" night...
I had a lower part of the shoulder with a lot of skin so it sat like a 6 inch porky pyramid in the roasting tin. I almost had too much crackling (crisped up for the last 20 minutes on the joint)
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