Recipe My really crispy roast potatoes

[Morning Glory]

• Floury Potatoes (such as Maris Piper)
• Olive oil or duck/goose fat
• Semolina

Use what are known as 'old' potatoes in the UK. The sort that become floury when cooked rather than staying firm.
Cut the potatoes into equal sized large pieces. Par-boil them in salted water for ten minutes. Drain and shake them in the pan to rough up the sides and edges of the potatoes. Put a generous amount of semolina grains into a shallow bowl or a plate and coat each piece of potato by turning it in the semolina. I use tongs to do this. You can complete this stage ahead of time if you wish.

Pre-heat oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Put olive oil or fat in a roasting tin and heat on the hob until fat becomes hot. Add the potato pieces and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Transfer the baking tin to the oven and cook for 35 - 40 minutes.

 

[Lullabelle]

• Floury Potatoes (such as Maris Piper)
• Olive oil or duck/goose fat
• Semolina

Use what are known as 'old' potatoes in the UK. The sort that become floury when cooked rather than staying firm.
Cut the potatoes into equal sized large pieces. Par-boil them in salted water for ten minutes. Drain and shake them in the pan to rough up the sides and edges of the potatoes. Put a generous amount of semolina grains into a shallow bowl or a plate and coat each piece of potato by turning it in the semolina. I use tongs to do this. You can complete this stage ahead of time if you wish.

Pre-heat oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Put olive oil or fat in a roasting tin and heat on the hob until fat becomes hot. Add the potato pieces and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Transfer the baking tin to the oven and cook for 35 - 40 minutes.

We have tried goose fat and to be honest I don't think it adds anything. My husband does not use semolina but he does give the spuds a good 'chuff' in the pan to rough them up a bit before cooking them, they sit in the pan to soak up the meat drippings. Olive oil is a bit too strong a taste.

 

[Morning Glory]

We have tried goose fat and to be honest I don't think it adds anything. My husband does not use semolina but he does give the spuds a good 'chuff' in the pan to rough them up a bit before cooking them, they sit in the pan to soak up the meat drippings. Olive oil is a bit too strong a taste.

You can use any oil you want of course. I don't use extra virgin for that job. But the semolina does add an extra crunch! Its the same with home-made pizza. If you rollout the dough in semolina the crust becomes extra crunchy.

 

[Berties]

It's all in the potato !Maris pipers are great as long as they are the old crop,red rooster is another preferred potato and so is golden wonder,the method is the above method is the other key

 

[Morning Glory]

It's all in the potato !Maris pipers are great as long as they are the old crop,red rooster is another preferred potato and so is golden wonder,the method is the above method is the other key

Yup! I often use red rooster and lately Elfe potatoes (sold in Tesco's) which are really sweet and floury. I think that Stateside there are different types of potato and that Maris Pipers might not be available. I do find potatoes rather confusing! I have a potato cookbook which keeps talking about 'main crop' potatoes. It may be an Australian term - but it doesn't mean anything to me!

 

[welsh dragon]

Yup! I often use red rooster and lately Elfe potatoes (sold in Tesco's) which are really sweet and floury. I think that Stateside there are different types of potato and that Maris Pipers might not be available. I do find potatoes rather confusing! I have a potato cookbook which keeps talking about 'main crop' potatoes. It may be an Australian term - but it doesn't mean anything to me!

Not Australian. There are three crops of potatoes. Earlies, main crop and late cropping potatoes. As the term implies, some spuds are ready early in the season, then you have main crop, then late spuds.

 

[Morning Glory]

Not Australian. There are three crops of potatoes. Earlies, main crop and late cropping potatoes. As the term implies, some spuds are ready early in the season, then you have main crop, then late spuds.

So, can main crop be new or old potatoes (what I mean by that is that new are the small non-floury sort and old are the bigger floury sort) or am I getting myself tied in knots!

 

[classic33]

So, can main crop be new or old potatoes (what I mean by that is that new are the small non-floury sort and old are the bigger floury sort) or am I getting myself tied in knots!

Any crop becomes old ones, once the latest crop is diggable.

 

[welsh dragon]

So, can main crop be new or old potatoes (what I mean by that is that new are the small non-floury sort and old are the bigger floury sort) or am I getting myself tied in knots!

Within the main crop there lots of varieties, and yes you should be able to find a potatoe to suit your needs. IE baking potatoes, chips/fries, roast, mashed, boiled etc. New potatoes are just another variety, like jersey mids. Small very tasty potatoes. Some new potatoes are main crops and some like jersey mids are late crops. I must confess I am not very knowledgeable re the different varieties, but im sure @classic33 will be of more assistance than i am. I am a bit of a numpty with potatoes. I usually judst look on the bag or the labeling to see what they are suitable for.

 

[classic33]

Within the main crop there lots of varieties, and yes you should be able to find a potatoe to suit your needs. IE baking potatoes, chips/fries, roast, mashed, boiled etc. New potatoes are just another variety, like jersey mids. Small very tasty potatoes. Some new potatoes are main crops and some like jersey mids are late crops. I must confess I am not very knowledgeable re the different varieties, but im sure @classic33 will be of more assistance than i am. I am a bit of a numpty with potatoes. I usually judst look on the bag or the labeling to see what they are suitable for.

There's a new thread that shows what's good for what. All 271 varieties.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I sometimes like to do the rosemary roasted potatoes, which consists of cut up potatoes with the skin on them, a little olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic & a sprinkling of dried rosemary, all tossed together & baked in the oven at 350 degrees!!

 

[winterybella]

I feel kind of left out here. The choices in potatoes have gown over the years but when you start to get into different kinds of potatoes, our hands are still short. What's more interesting here is that I had no clue what's semolina. Where is this thread with the 271 variety Classic 33?

 

[Morning Glory]

I feel kind of left out here. The choices in potatoes have gown over the years but when you start to get into different kinds of potatoes, our hands are still short. What's more interesting here is that I had no clue what's semolina. Where is this thread with the 271 variety Classic 33?

Semolina is sometimes thought to be a grain in its own right but in fact its a wheat product. Its a sort of coarse flour which can be made into a kind of porridge. Some countries call this Cream of Wheat. But its also great for dusting on surfaces when rolling out pizza dough. It helps the pizza base crisp up. And you can use it, as I have in the potato recipe, to help provide a crispy finish to other foods. You can use it in place of breadcrumbs, for example, for coating fish to fry. Its a very versatile product. Looks like this:

 

[winterybella]

Thank you Morning Glory. If you are saying it's cream of wheat then I have that on hand. I have not been a fan. It's something males see as a power food of sorts.

 

[Morning Glory]

Thank you Morning Glory. If you are saying it's cream of wheat then I have that on hand. I have not been a fan. It's something males see as a power food of sorts.

Really? Semolina when cooked as a sort of porridge is seen as a horrible old school dinner over here. Certainly not manly! Anyway, the way I'm using it is as a coating not as a gloopy porridge. Its very cheap so it makes sense!