Sunday Spuds

Let me start by apologising to my British friends.  I know that making roast potatoes comes naturally to you Brits, but as a transplanted Yank they were news to me.  You see, in the States we are more 'mashed potatoes' with roast chicken than roast potatoes.  I soon learned that when it came to making the traditional 'Sunday Roast Dinner' serving mashed potatoes was NOT acceptable.

I mean, the look on Andy's face when I suggested mashed potatoes with our first Christmas turkey was one of utter disgust.  I needed to master the art of making roast potatoes and quickly, too!  Like many simple dishes, they are trickier to do well than one would think but I think I've got it cracked so here's my crash course on Sunday roast potatoes.

To start you need the right kind spud, one with a fluffy texture rather than a waxy flesh.  This usually means a white potato like Maris Piper. As for serving sizes, I prepare at least 2 medium potatoes per person. Nothing is worse than running out of roasties.  Peel the potatoes.  Cut the big ones in quarters and the smaller ones in half.  You want them to be relatively the same size.  

Place the chunks in a large sauce pan, pour over just enough water to cover them and bring them to a boil.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the potatoes begin to soften.  Pour the potatoes into a colander to thoroughly drain and leave them to steam while you crank the oven up to 200C/400F.  

Return the potatoes to the pan and cover with a lid.  Now, this bit is very important.  You must give the potatoes a few good shakes to rough up the edges.  This 'chuffing' is what makes the roasties crispy on the outside.  Now, on to the secret ingredient....

GOOSE FAT!  Yes, goose fat.  Now I know not everyone will have a pot of goose fat in their fridge so if you don't canola oil will work almost as well.  Place a few tablespoons of goose fat or canola oil into a large roasting tin.  Put the tin into the oven and let the fat get REALLY hot.

When the fat is shimmering hot, carefully place the potatoes into the roasting pan, turning them over to coat them completely with oil.  Pour in a few more drops of oil if you find you need it.  Place the tray back into the oven, cooking the potatoes for about 20 minutes before turning them over so they brown on all sides.  

Continue cooking and turning the potatoes until they are golden and crispy. They will take about an hour or so to roast properly.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.  

Any left over roasties make great pan fried potatoes so make extras if you can. Of course,  you probably won't have any leftovers.  For more roast potato recipes CLICK HERE to visit Jamie Oliver's roastie recipes.