English Style Roast Potatoes Food

PERFECT TRADITIONALLY ENGLISH ROAST POTATOES

Steps:

• Peel and quarter potatoes.
• Place in a saucepan with water and a pinch of the salt.
• Bring to a boil and simmer them for 5-6 mins to slightly soften.
• Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400°F.
• When the potatoes have simmered drain them thoroughly in a colander shaking to roughen edges.
• Let sit for a few mins to dry.
• Pour just enough vegetable oil into a roasting pan (large enough to allow space around the potatoes) to cover bottom and heat in oven for a few minutes.
• Gently place potatoes into the hot oil and coat them with it evenly.
• Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the potatoes.
• Every so often baste the potatoes in the oil to prevent drying (try not to move potatoes).
• Turn potatoes once or twice (no more) halfway through (after 20 mins or so) to ensure even cooking.
• Cook for 30-60 mins until gold and crispy (observe closely once near end).

ENGLISH ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• To prepare the chicken, lift the skin gently with a knife and insert some small pieces of butter and slices of lemon under the breast.
• Make a ball of the stuffing and place in the cavity. Tie the chicken together with a string. Lay 6 pieces of streaky smoked bacon over the chicken. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Rub salt and butter into the skin. Heat oil in roasting pan and put the chicken and the onion into it. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Baste the chicken thoroughly every 20 minutes. After 1 hour and 10 minutes remove the crispy bacon slices and place them on a dish for serving. Return the chicken to the oven for another 20 minutes.
• While the Chicken is cooking, start the gravy:
• To make stock, combine the giblets with a bay leaf and an onion in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Add carrot and peppercorns. When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate and keep warm. Put the roasting tin on heat and drain off fat with a spoon. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the juice. Keep stirring. When the juice is brown add the stock. Sieve the gravy to remove any lumps. Add a splash of white wine if desired.
• In a medium saucepan melt the butter and sweat the onions until translucent. Combine the chopped herbs, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, lemon juice and zest in a medium-mixing bowl. Add onions and mix thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Parboil the potatoes. Coat them in flour. Put in a roasting tin with very hot sunflower oil. Roast for 30 minutes.

PERFECT ROASTIES - ROAST POTATOES FOR ENGLISH SUNDAY LUNCH

Steps:

• Par-boil the potatoes first.
• Once they are peeled and cut into similar sizes (small potatoes in two, large ones in four), put the potatoes into cold, salted water and bring to the boil. As soon as they start boiling, boil for about 5 to 6 minutes, then drain all the water off (keeping some for the gravy later), let some of the steam evaporate off, then put the lid on securely and shake the potatoes in the pan until the edges are roughened and fluffed up.
• Add the flour and shake again, to coat all the potatoes in a thin coating of flour. This is what will absorb the hot oil to make a crisp surface as the potatoes roast. Leave the lid off now so they dry a little until the oil is ready.
• Heat the oil first.
• In a roasting pan, that is large enough to take the potatoes in a single layer, put enough vegetable oil, duck fat or goose fat to cover the bottom with ease. The potatoes mustn't be bathed in the oil, so keep it less than ½ cm or ¼ inch deep.
• Put the tray into the hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 10 minutes before the potatoes need to go inches Once the oil is smoking hot, put the potatoes in so they sizzle and turn them around so they are all coated in the hot fat/oil, then return the tray to the oven to roast. The potatoes can be turned two or three times during cooking.
• Timing.
• The potatoes need to stay in the hot oven until the very last minute when you are ready to serve lunch. If they hang around keeping warm they lose their crisp edge and gradually dwindle into leathery bullets. They need 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 200°C/400°F to reach optimum crispiness. Time the meat to be ready 10 minutes before them, so it can rest, you can make the gravy and summon the troops to table, and only then produce the potatoes still sizzling from the oven, and sprinkled with freshly milled sea salt.
• (If people are late in arriving for lunch, the potatoes can take another 10-15 minutes getting even more crispy in the oven, but after that I'd just get on and eat them without the latecomers!).
• Roasting tin.
• I get the crispiest results from my enamel roasting tins. Pyrex or glass trays result in softer, less crispy potatoes. Metal trays are also excellent for roasting potatoes.
• Temperature.
• Keep the hottest part of the oven for the potatoes. Juggling the roast meat, roast potatoes and everything in a small oven is tricky but the potatoes will only get crisp if they can roast in blazing heat for a while. If all else fails, when the meat comes out, turn the oven up to the highest heat and put the potatoes on the top shelf for a blasting. Last on the list of emergency remedies, put them under a hot grill (broiler) for the last five minutes while you are getting the table ready.

ULTIMATE ROAST POTATOES

Steps:

• Put a roasting tin in the oven (one big enough to take the potatoes in a single layer) and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Peel 1kg potatoes and cut each into 4 even-sized pieces if they are medium size, 2-3 if smaller (5cm pieces).
• Drop the potatoes into a large pan and pour in enough water to barely cover them.
• Add salt, then wait for the water to boil. As soon as the water reaches a full rolling boil, lower the heat, put your timer on and simmer the potatoes uncovered, reasonably vigorously, for 2 mins.
• Meanwhile, put 100g duck or goose fat or 100ml olive oil into the hot roasting tin and heat it in the oven for a few mins, so it's really hot.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander then shake the colander back and forth a few times to fluff up the outsides.
• Sprinkle with 2 tsp flour and give another shake or two so they are evenly and thinly coated.
• Carefully put the potatoes into the hot fat - they will sizzle as they go in - then turn and roll them around so they are coated all over.
• Spread them in a single layer making sure they have plenty of room.
• Roast the potatoes for 15 mins, then take them out of the oven and turn them over.
• Roast for another 15 mins and turn them over again. Put them back in the oven for another 10-20 mins, or however long it takes to get them really golden and crisp. The colouring will be uneven, which is what you want.
• Scatter with Maldon salt and serve straight away.

ENGLISH ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season the roast with salt and pepper to taste. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the outside of the roast on all sides in the butter. After the roast is browned, add 1/2 cup water to the pan, and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sage, and 1/2 teaspoon of mint onto the roast. Place onion and garlic into the pan if desired, and season with seasoning salt and red pepper flakes, if using.
• Cover the pot, and place the roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours depending on how well done you prefer the meat to be. 2 hours for rare, and 3 for well done. Removed finished roast to a pan to keep warm.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Whisk flour into melted butter until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Mix until a smooth paste is formed. Return to medium heat, and season with remaining sage and mint. Stir in the liquid from the roasting pan, and boil, stirring constantly until the gravy is thickened. Remove from heat. Slice the roast and serve with gravy poured over the meat.