Perfect roast potatoes

[tintinthegingertomcat]

How do you get your perfect roast potato.

I parboil mine for about 5-7 mins, place in colandar and shake about to make the edges rough, then I cover with a little oil and shake some dried semolina over them. I find they are perfect and the family love them.

Any other ideas on the perfect roastie????

[rose2008-2008]

I love the perfect Roastie, but mine dont always turn out like that!!!!!!!!!. I was always told to Par boil until a bit fluffy but firm enought that they dont fall apart!!. Which i find difficult for a start. Some people dust them with flour???, but i do not normally do this. They should turn out slightly crispy but not too much and softer on the inside.

YUMMMMMMY

[ilove2patch]

I do that Tin Tin but have not tried the semolena. Thanks for the tip.

[tintinthegingertomcat]

The semolina tip was one of the chefs - think it might have been a Gary Rhodes or Ainsley Harriot tip - I use the semolina nearly all of the time.

I believe Goose Fat is good - but as I am a vegetarian that is not an option.

[ilove2patch]

Yes goose or duck fat is good but I tend to use olive or good vegetable oils for everyday.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Same way for me tintin, semolina and ordinary sunflower oil, but at christmas I use duck fat.

[captainbovine]

you can't beat good old beef dripping, but that's you out tintin.

I use semolena too, it's brilliant but you wouldn't need it with the dripping.

I do them at Christmas with it, and then make cakes for the birds with the rest.

[ilove2patch]

I like semolina made with milk as a pudding. It's also good for shortbread.

[chickengrandma-2008]

I tried to get beef dripping from Tosco the other dayfor this very reason but it wasn't listed so I got lard instead.  Not as good but a bit tastier than oil.  I'd heard of using semolina but haven't tried it, only flour.

[ilove2patch]

You can usually get beef dripping at a good butchers shop.

[peteryola]

I just peel, cut and roast them in sunflower oil.  Usually come out nice and crunchy without parboiling or sticking anything like semolina to them.

Top shelf in oven, 175°C not pre-heated; after 45 minutes or so turn them over, keeping it at 175°C.   After another 30 minutes turn again, reduce to 150°C then turn again 30 minutes later, maintaining 150°C.  Ready to serve about 20 - 30 minutes after that.

The times quoted above, of course, will vary according to the size of the potatoes!

[ilove2patch]

That's three hours!

[ed_blackadder_1]

Just had mine 3/4 hour start to finish, par boiled, heated fat, drained potatoes, bashed them up a bit sprinkled with a little semolina put them in the hot fat. Done. very nice they were too.

[captainbovine]

we stock dripping in our store CG, but I'm not sure we deliver that far!!!!

all this talk about roasties means I'll just have to have a practice run heh heh

[peteryola]

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@ilove2patch wrote:

That's three hours!

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Not quite!  45 mins + 30 mins + 30 mins + 20 - 30 mins is 2¼ hours; by coincidence roughly the same time it takes to roast a joint on the lower shelf while the spuds are doing on the upper shelf...

I should add that I do jacket potatoes and stews in the oven as well ( though obviously not at the same time or even on the same day as doing a joint with roast spuds.