Perfect Roasties (with less fat)

Day 47: Yes. As a girl, at Christmas, I would always try and steal a couple from the oven as they were just getting crispy and would wolf any leftovers down the next day. My mum would roast them in a sea of oil, using a huge baster to squeeze the oil over the top of the potatoes every so often. Yum.

I use much less oil and salt than my mum used, but – thought I say so myself – they are still tasty and – more importantly – crispy. How do I know they still work? Well, I made extra, yesterday, for my baby but when I went to pack them, there were only a couple left on the baking tray. Someone who-shall-remain-nameless ( hubby) had eaten them.

This recipe has been hard to quantify as I make them so frequently. I made another batch today, to break down what I actually do! It is, also, a challenge because everyone is partial to their roasties a particular way. I like smaller ones with lots of crispy bits, which is what I’ll share here, but other people like larger ones with a firm crispy shell. And, for some reason, some folks like roast potatoes hardly crispy at all but, personally, I can’t see the point of that.

There is some debate as to which potato makes the best roast potato. Delila Smith, the queen of British cooking ( I know, some would say that’s an oxymoron but she’s fabulous) says Desireé.  You can check out her recipe here. If you are not worried about oil content and desire to use lard, go for her recipe, big time. It’ll turn out delish. I just used the russets in our CSA but I, particularly, love roasting fingerlings, when they are in season. Obviously, new potatoes are a different kettle of fish, and, if I am still doing this blog by then, I’ll post a great lemon and thyme new potato recipe in new potato season.

Can you see I’m excited about this dish?

Ingredients:
1-2lbs of potatoes.  (About 1/2 lb per person is fine)
1/4-1/2 Tsp season all salt mix
1-2Tbs olive oil

Turn on your kettle to boil.

Scrub the potatoes and remove all eyes and parts you’d rather not eat. I leave the skins on, as that is where most of the nutrition is, but if you prefer them peeled, go ahead.

Cut into about 1″ chunks, depending on your preference. Place in a saucepan and pour over the boiling water. (If you don’t have a kettle you can just place the potatoes in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil)

Par-boil the potatoes for between 7-10 minutes (depends on the size of your chunks). They should be tender but not fully cooked.

Pre-heat oven to about 425 F (218 C)

Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return potatoes to your pan, close the lid. Now, this is what I do – you may want to do this differently – add a tablespoon of oil and the season-all – then shake the potatoes vigorously. They should be bashed around the edges. (If you prefer to heat the oil on the tray in the oven, then skip adding the oil here).

Pour the bashed and oiled potatoes out onto a baking tray. Toss in a little more olive oil – not much – and add any further seasoning. This could be anything, such as black pepper or oregano. Whatever you like. Give it a shake on the pan and place in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until they are crispy and golden. I give them a shake at about half-time, just to ensure they are cooking evenly.

Roasted Fingerlings

And there you have it! Serve with a delicious aioli.