Roast Potatoes

Name: Roast Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 kg of Potatoes; Salt; 50 g of Semolina; 3 tablespoons of Goose Fat; 3 tablespoons of Sunflower Oil

Roast potatoes the British way: parboiled, roughed up, dusted with semolina and roasted in hot goose fat until crisp outside and fluffy inside.

Difficulty Easy
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 1 hour and5 minutes
Servings for 6 people

Roast potatoes are, for many British families, the most important part of Christmas dinner: chunks of floury potato parboiled, shaken in the pan to rough up the edges and roasted in very hot fat until they have a thick, crunchy golden crust and a soft, fluffy center.

At Christmas the fat of choice is goose fat, which gives flavor and crispness, and a light coating of semolina makes the crust even crunchier. They are served with the turkey and all the trimmings, from pigs in blankets to sprouts, with plenty of gravy.

Floury potatoes are essential: in Britain Maris Piper or King Edward, elsewhere russet or Yukon Gold.

Ingredients for 6 people

1 kg of Potatoes floury, such as Maris Piper, King Edward or russet
Salt to taste
50 g of Semolina
3 tablespoons of Goose Fat
3 tablespoons of Sunflower Oil

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Method

Preheat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F). Peel the potatoes and cut them into even, medium chunks, about the size of an egg.
Put them in a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes, only until the outside begins to turn soft. Drain well in a colander and leave them to steam until completely dry.
Tip the potatoes back into the empty pan, put the lid on and shake firmly to rough up the edges. Sprinkle over the semolina and shake again so every piece is coated.
Put the goose fat and the sunflower oil in a large roasting tin and heat it in the oven for about 5 minutes, until very hot and just smoking.
Carefully add the potatoes to the hot fat, turning them so they are coated all over, and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, turning them halfway through, until deep golden and crisp. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve piping hot. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

Use 2 tablespoons of plain flour instead of semolina, or no coating at all. Add a few unpeeled garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary or thyme to the tin for the last 20 minutes. For vegetarian roast potatoes, use only sunflower or olive oil.

Tips

Let the potatoes steam dry completely after draining: wet potatoes spit in the fat and do not crisp. The fat must be very hot when they go in. Do not crowd the tin; for more people, use two tins. No goose fat? Use duck fat, beef dripping or more sunflower oil.

Storage

Roast potatoes are best straight from the oven. They can be roasted up to 12 hours ahead, kept in the fridge once cool and reheated in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.