The Perfect Roasties

BUDFORCE said:
Does no one else flour them?

I use basically the above methods posted, but before I put them in the oven I sieve flour over them. I used to use onion powder that also works.

Also when I put them in pre-heated roasting tray with fat already hot, I take a spoon and tip the tray a little so the fat pools in one corner, and then spoon it over the potatoes (should cook a fried egg like this also).

The other thing I find is contrary to what you read, but I don't put the oven too high, if you got time 150-160 is fine, saves getting those corners too dark, more even roast.
Click to expand...
toss in cornflour
 
Housey said:
I believe I am good at this and will post some roasty porn later for judgement....

My approach is simple.

1: Find a roasting spud, the important first bit...
2: Peel said roasting spud
3: Add to pan of cold water, nicely salted, so the water is over the spuds
4: Bring to boil then simmer for circa 12-15 minutes until the edges start to roughen
5: Drain and gental shake so the roughness increases
6: Remove, lay out on baking trail and let dry and cool for circa 15 minutes.
7: Goose fat in oven in roasting tin and head on 220 fan until it's red hot and smoking
8: Remove, add spuds with spoon and be careful. I have a scar for life on my hand from getting to excited at this stage.
9: Gently turn spuds in hot oil then back in the over top shelf
10: Road for 45 - 55 minutes to liking
11: Remove from oil, salt and wait for 2 or 3 mins

Serve

I like a real crunch followed by smooth insides. The above always gives me this.

Spud porn will be uploaded later.
Click to expand...
This is pretty much the method to use, i used to be a chef many moons ago.
Rinse the spuds at the start to remove excess starch, also remove from oven half way to turn them over to recoat in the fat.
 
Last edited:
never mind about traditional style roasties, try boiling whole medium size potatoes with the skin still on and then crushing them into a patty type shape so that the skin cracks all over.

then roasting dry as they are to crisp up the skin and then add a big load of butter and roast potato seasoning mix.

After it all melts spoon the liquid over the potatoes once in a while and roast till they look good and ready.
 
The method isn't hard, par boil in salty water, drain put them into a roasting tin and coat with oil.

The key is getting a quality spud, Kind Edwards are more often the best variety for roasting IMO with the biggest draw back being they lack in size. Now I say from my experience of cooking roast potatoes for 20 years but the importance in using Goose/Duck fat to make a roast potato's is way over hyped by 'Celebrity Chefs/TV Cooks', a cheap standard white potato cooked in goose fat is never going to be good as a King Edward cooked in a semi decent Olive oil.
 
kitfit1 said:
I think you will find that they are "dark, leathery and soft" because they have been sat for a long time under a heat lamp. The same thing happens in pub carvery's as well.
Click to expand...
This is the answer, it's because are left under a heat lamp or their own heat for a long time.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Does no one else flour them?

I use basically the above methods posted, but before I put them in the oven I sieve flour over them. I used to use onion powder that also works.

Also when I put them in pre-heated roasting tray with fat already hot, I take a spoon and tip the tray a little so the fat pools in one corner, and then spoon it over the potatoes (should cook a fried egg like this also).

The other thing I find is contrary to what you read, but I don't put the oven too high, if you got time 150-160 is fine, saves getting those corners too dark, more even roast.
Click to expand...
I use fine semolina on mine. Really like a good bbq roast potato too, adds a nice bit of smokyness to them.
 
Last edited:
Freddie1980 said:
The key is getting a quality spud, Kind Edwards are more often the best variety for roasting IMO
Click to expand...

I must admit I haven't really tried king Edward I will make a point of trying those next time.

One thing I will say is Maris Piper vs a bog standard "white potato" is significant, the latter being pretty poor.

So you are spot on you need a good quality potato to start with.
 
iron_monkey said:
Yes the real question should be where to buy the best roasting potatoes. The maris pipers from asda are always full of bruises
Click to expand...
When buying at the supermarket there's still an element of chance that the crop your potatoes came from isn't up to scratch. I would say though just avoid buying standard boring white potatoes, there good as jacket potatoes as they tend to be on the larger size but I just can't bring myself to use them for anything else (including mashing).
 
the-evaluator said:
I've had roasties done in olive oil and wasn't at all keen. Rape seed oil ftw for me. It all goes to show just how different the definition of "perfect" is to different people.

Agreed entirely though that the quality of spud is key.
Click to expand...
I would go along with that, rapeseed oil is just as good. My mum uses olive oil and I've never had any complaints but in my household rapeseed oil normally the goto oil for things like this.
 
the-evaluator said:
I've had roasties done in olive oil and wasn't at all keen. Rape seed oil ftw for me. It all goes to show just how different the definition of "perfect" is to different people.

Agreed entirely though that the quality of spud is key.
Click to expand...
That's fine and then one moves to Goose or Duck fat ;)
 
King Edwards used to be our spud of choice for roasties but something about them changed, they seemed to "fall" a lot quicker in the part boil stage than previously and ended us as mashed rather than roasted. We switched to Maris Piper from either Tesco or Ocado and they seem better at holding their shape in the part boil.

Olive oil for us in the roasting stage although we have tried goose fat but not sure if it made a world of difference.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom