Reply With QuoteThey are there for flavour, you're not suppose to eat them :)
although baked or pickled garlic is rather nice
The problem with unpeeled garlic is you end up with skins that don't disintegrate into and around the potatoes, meaning a chewy skin and spuds that haven't been flavoured as much. I wouldn't recommend this personally
They are there for flavour, you're not suppose to eat them :)
although baked or pickled garlic is rather nice
Fas est ab hoste doceri
1. Arran Victory - best potatoes I've grown
2. Parboil no more than 3-4 mins
3. Allow to cool until steam has disappeared.
4. Toss them about a bit to fluff up the outside - don't go mental
5. Put on a tray of Groundnut oil that has been heated to Gas Mark 7 / 220ºC / 400ºF - until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
6. Eat them before the others do.
I think the wife has ignored number 4 too often. I think it’s permanent now.Originally Posted by sweeney
Cheers..
Jase
Personally not a fan of fluffy and following on from something on one of the TV cook shows about 10 years I also DON'T do the parboiling.
I like then super crisp so what I do is get good potatoes e.g. King Edwards Reds.
Usual peel etc... and then drain/dab with a paper towel towel to get excess water off.
Then a big frying pan with a little lard and hot! Dump chopped spuds into the pan. Lid on the frying pan and lots of wiggling and jiggling until the outside of the spuds goes golden. Then transfer to a hot baking tray with lard. Roast as usual. The pre-frying ensures the roast are really crispy and no soaking up the fat from the baking tray. Guaranteed crispy roasts every time.
Sorry, but no tossing = fewer crispy bits.
There is a more smutty angle to this that I'm so trying to resist. The Nigella quote began this process for me, but this isn't Boys' Room, so I shall be strong.
For an English roast spud, I agree.
I sometimes cut the potatoes into small (3/4”) cubes, skins on, and parboil with rosemary, then roast with olive oil and season with large grain sea salt.
A variant we have in Malta- we parboil the potatoes and then toss them with fennel seeds, a finely chopped garlic clove, a tiny pinch of curry powder and olive oil, then roast. Using an almost subliminal trace of curry powder adds an interesting flavour.
Par boil, give them a shuffle in the colander. then into the fridge..for as long as possible,
then into oven for about 50 mins to an hour
Use a good floury spud, boil it longer than just a par boil so a knife slides through easily as this will promote a fluffy centre. Preheat the oven to about gas mark 8 and use a oil with a high burn temp to prevent a bitter taste. Drain spuds, chuff them up and leave to cool so there is no steam coming off them (putting them in the fridge speeds this up) this according to my chef pal is what helps to give a crispy outside. Not sure why but think its something to do with proteins and starches and reduced moisture when putting them in the oven. When spuds have cooled toss them in the hot oil. I throw in a few smashed garlic and sprigs of rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper. After about 20 minutes I sometime throw in a generous knob of butter when moving the spuds about. cook for 50-60 minutes
Not a dish served here. But I watched J. O. on the Kitchen24 Channel preparing them. They look great and rather tasty.
(Sidestep: ...what amazes me is the number of people going through the Supermarket the days before Xmas like it's the End of Times. And then seeing someone on TV blabbing about '...European Christmas traditions are shifting towards the US tradition - with a certain dedain... I am going to the US for the 20th Christmas celebration in 25 years, next weekend. I've never seen a Publix or Walmart fully crowded with people, tossing food in their trolley like madmen the days before Christmas!)
I wasn’t referring to the potato bit of number 4 😁Sorry, but no tossing = fewer crispy bits.
There is a more smutty angle to this that I'm so trying to resist. The Nigella quote began this process for me, but this isn't Boys' Room, so I shall be strong.
Cheers..
Jase
This is probably sacrilege but I'm not so keen on gravy so I have my roast potatoes with mayonnaise. Amazing!
No gravy here as well... just makes the whole meal too wet :-)
half a bottle of HP sauce instead ;-)
I find beef dripping very good, or reserved fat from other roasts. I use a muffin tin so each piece has it's own oil bath.
I can't help but think this is slightly ridiculous. Each to there own though.
Not you though....this is definitely sacrilege!
This man is 100% correct - Beef Dripping, it cannot be beaten, go to your local butchers.
The muffin tin is a neat way of getting deep oil whilst preventing spills of hot fat due to slopping in a flat bottom tin. Also reduces the amount of oil needed.
I tend to choose a Desirée potato, chuck some of the peeling in whilst you parboil adds some extra flavour. Add into cold water as soon as peeled and chopped, teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, when boiling time for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain water and shake well to fluff.
Oven heated to 200, metal tray with plenty of olive oil some rock salt, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and a few sprigs of rosemary. When I had the pan out of the oven from preheating I add a decent knob of butter to the oil. Add the parboiled spuds give them a shake around and try and make sure they are coated well, ( have tried rolling them in flour, but Mrs thought they tasted different) cook for 45 minutes and then take them out and give them another shake. Cook for another 30 minutes I sometimes turn the oven up a bit at this stage if I think they need more crisping but most of the time fine at 200, unless I am adding in the Yorkshire to cook.
Credit Delia, Heston and a couple of others
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