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Really good roast potatoes

Roast spuds should be crisp and golden on the outside, fluffy and soft inside. Here’s how

1. Use a suitable potato variety, such as King Edward or Maris Piper. Waxy potatoes won’t give the desired flouriness of texture.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into even-sized chunks and parboil in salted water for 5–7 minutes. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then put the lid on the pan and give them a good shake to rough up the edges. This will help the outside to crisp in the oven.
3. Meanwhile, heat 50g fat per 450g potatoes in a solid roasting tin in the oven until really hot – use any fat from the meat, dripping or lard. Goose fat is excellent if you can find it.
4. With the hot fat over a medium heat on the hob, transfer the roughed-up potatoes to the tin (The fat must stay as hot as possible to seal the edges of the potatoes). Baste the potatoes all over with fat and return to the oven. You can, if you wish, scatter a few peeled cloves of garlic among the potatoes, or sprigs of rosemary or thyme for a herby flavour.
5. Cook them for 40–50 minutes at 220C/425F/gas mark 7. As this is much too hot for roasting the meat, it’s best to cook the roast potatoes while the meat is resting. This is one of the major problems of the modern oven – even allowing for zoned heat – the roast potatoes should be cooked at a high temperature, while the meat needs a few notches lower.

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