'fess up, roast potatoes...

[GrumpyGregry]

using duck fat today, and I'm a parboil via bringing them to the boil type.

 

[Arch]

using duck fat today, and I'm a parboil via bringing them to the boil type.

Then we can never speak again.



Funny how we all have fixed habits, and how often they aren't really based on fact, or even experimentation, but on what our Mums told us, or we first read in a book etc. A lot of the time, many methods work well, but we each swear by our own, no matter how much we see others working fine. Rice cooking, there's another one...

 

[Noodley]

Do all the par boiling and shaking thing...but rather than using duck fat, buy a couple of duck breasts and start them cooking in the oven whilst boiling the tatties. Then throw the tatties into the same roasting dish, give them a good coating in the fat and leave the duck breasts and potatoes to cook together - lovely roast tatties and lovely duck to eat with them.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
Rice cooking, there's another one...

don't stir it!

 

[TVC]

After par boiling the spuds are best left for 10 minutes to steam off before chuffing them, it helps make 'em crispier.

 

[Bayerd]

I tend to just bung them around whatever joint I'm roasting an hour before needed and baste a couple of times, then use the residue for gravy.

 

[MossCommuter]

OT but isn't it interesting how "par" in "par boil" has turned 180 degrees and reversed its meaning.

It is thought that someone wanting to refer to "part boiling" something decided "par boil" sounded fancier.

The original meaning of "par boil" was to thoroughly boil something, a meaning closer to "par" in golf or the expression "up to par".

 

[Panter]

Boil vigorously for a couple of minutes, drain water off, add semolina granules to spuds, shake vigorously, then transfer to pre-heated baking tray with smoking hot goose fat.
Roast for 45 minutes then eat and enjoy

 

[stephec]

Best spuds I've used for a while are Albert Bartlet reds, come up nice and crispy in goose fat.

 

[rusky]

What about adding crushed garlic & chopped, fresh rosemary??

 

[GrumpyGregry]

What about adding crushed garlic & chopped, fresh rosemary??

With lamb yes. Not with beef round ours any way!

 

[Bicycle]

Par boil for a few minutes, drain the water and swirl in the pan to rough them up a bit.

Stick then in the oven with fat of choice if desired.

Eat.

Spot on as far as I'm concerned.

Goose fat seems to make the nicest ones and can be kept for an age in a fridge.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

as above, but get the fat of choice well hot before you bung the spuds in

...and to guarantee crispiness you can sprinkle with semolina / flour / similar while bashing about in the pan before dumping carefully into the fat of choice...

 

[loadz]

+1 for the "shake em around in the pan with a bit of semolina" mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

 

[lukesdad]

Turn em first soak for a couple of hours. When its time remove joint to a new tray, reduce down that pan liquer and fry on top till browning, into the oven 30 - 45 mins rolling occaisonally.