Title: Roast Potatoes
Categories: Side British Vegetable Historical
Yield: 4 Servings

2	lb	Old potatoes (large baking)
2	oz	Beef dripping *

The best kind of potato is one which mashes well, ie very floury. New potatoes have too much water to roast well, and waxy ones never get the right texture in the middle.

Although beef dripping is by far the best cooking medium for roast potatoes, in decreasing order of excellence, you can use duck or goose fat, pork fat (lard) and even cooking oil. When prepared right, very little fat itself gets absorbed into the potatoes, just the flavourings.

Put a large saucepan on to boil with plenty of salted water. Peel the potatoes, and cut them into regular sized pieces. Each piece should weigh around 2-3 oz. Try to make sure that each piece has at least two flat cut surfaces if possible. For moderately large potatoes, this will involve quartering them for example. The size and shape do matter to the finished product. When the water comes to the boil, and over full heat, drop the potatoes into the pan, and boil 5 minutes from the moment the water comes back to the boil. If preparing potatoes for more than about 12 people, it is best to cook in batches to avoid the potatoes taking too long to come back to temperature and cooking fully. All you need to do is to soften up the outside surface. When the time is up, tip the potatoes into a large sieve or (better) colander, and immediately toss hard several times. This should roughen up the surfaces slightly. If your timing is right, continue roasting. If not, cover and leave aside until about 1 1/2 hours before the main course will be eaten. Assuming that these potatoes are to accompany a roast, you won't need to pre-heat the oven, but if not, pre-heat the oven to about 350-375F. About 5 minutes before you are due to start roasting the potatoes, put the fat in the pan, and put the pan in the oven. When you are ready to start roasting, remove the pan from the oven, and over heat, add the potatoes. Baste all surfaces thoroughly, then put into the oven. Every half an hour or so, turn the potatoes to make sure they cook on all sides. when the 1 1/2 hour cooking time is up and the potatoes are nicely crisp and browned, remove the pan from the oven, and remove the potatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set on kitchen towel 1/2 a minute or so to absorb excess fat, sprinkle lightly with salt and serve immediately. Roast potatoes do not wait at _all_ and do not reheat either.

If using the oven at significantly different temperatures, for other cooking, adjust the cooking time appropriately. Remember to baste and turn them regularly, however, especially if roasting very hot.

Recipe & MMed IMH c/o Georges' Home BBS 2:323/4.4

From: Ian Hoare Date: 01 Aug 97 National Cooking Echo Ä

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