patsylabrador Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 My spuds are always disappointing on Christmas Day. I have a small cooker and they never crisp up as normal. I wondered whether to roast them on Christmas Eve then give them a quick blast in a roasting pan just before serving. Would that work do you think or would they be soggy or hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 No, have you tried Nigellas recipe using semolina? It makes spuds super crispy that and duck or goose fat. I love crispy roast potatoes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowberry Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 No, have you tried Nigellas recipe using semolina? It makes spuds super crispy that and duck or goose fat. I love crispy roast potatoes! Would you say semolina is better than flour? I've only ever put semolina around the crust of pizza before. Terrible memories of semolina at school though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 It is delicious, forget school dinners it is used dry, here is the recipe : Ingredients 5 1/2 pounds potatoes 2 tablespoons semolina 2 (11-ounce) jars goose fat Directions Preheat the oven to the hottest possible temperature. Peel the potatoes, and cut each into 3 by cutting off each end at a slant so that you are left with a wedge or triangle in the middle. Place the potatoes into salted cold water in a saucepan, and bring them to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 4 minutes. Drain the excess water from the potatoes using a colander and then tip the potatoes back into the empty saucepan. Sprinkle the semolina over the top of the potatoes. Hold a lid firmly on top of the pan and shake the potatoes around to coat them well and so that their edges disintegrate or fuzz and blur a little: this facilitates the crunch effect later. Place the goose fat into a large roasting tin and heat in the oven until very hot. Then carefully place the semolina-coated potatoes into the hot fat and roast the potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until they are darkly golden and crisp, turning them over halfway through cooking. If the oven is hot enough they probably will not need more than about 25 minutes a side; and it's better to let them sit in the oven (you can always pour off most of the fat and leave them in the tin) until the very last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 No - when you take your turkey out, an hour before your meal. Whack up the heat of your oven. Baste them in the turkey fat & the parsnips as well if you like them. They never fail for us. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Me, I never do roast spuds. Instead, I always do Hasselback potatoes. Basically, peel your spuds, take a slim sliver off one side of each spud so you have a stable base (i.e. the spud won't roll around), then make lots of parallel cuts about three quarters of the way through the spud and about 5mm apart. Place them in a roasting pan with a bit of hot oil in, then baste and roast at 200 - 220ish degC for about 45 mins. I've never yet had them fail, they're much quicker than normal roasties and the outside always seems to crisp up correctly leaving the inside fluffy and moist. More importantly, at only 45 mins it means you can reasonably pop them in after the roast has come out and still be able to rely on them being properly cooked. Edited to add a link to Nigella's version which is very similar. http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/hasselback-potatoes-226. However, I don't bother with butter or salt; fat from the roast, if you have some, is far better, and salt can be added at the table if preferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Mary Berry recommends roasting them the day before the blasting in a hot oven for 10 mins before serving. I was wondering about trying this but was talked out of it by the family . We have two ovens so can usually balance everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I am doing Hasselback potatoes as well this year. My kids love them. I usually put some bay leaf between two of the cuts but have found this to be a bit strong so might leave this out this time. I have a set of wooden salad spoons, one of which is a deep bowl shape which the spud sits in nicely, and it stops you cutting all the way through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I'm going to my mums for Christmas dinner, she isn't great with roast pototoes so i have some goose fat prepared ones to take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Been chatting to a friend who is a hopeless cook; she swears by M&S roast potato seasoning (or something like that) sounds from her description as if it is semolina with onion salt and other seasoning. She says it's fool proof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted December 24, 2012 Author Share Posted December 24, 2012 Thank you everyone for all your advice. Doing them tomorrow, have got semolina and also going to do hasselbacks. Merry Christmas x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Good luck PL! I always use goose fat and semolina. Never fails! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...