I’ve always been led to believe that roasting potatoes is a fine art. And as my mum is a maestro, I thought it best never to cook them myself. There is a glitch here though: I’m cooking dinner at mine on Christmas day and having visions of my mum carrrying trays of of hot fluffy, crispy roasties through the drizzly streets of London and the poor tatties dying on the way, arriving cold, leathery and sad. So, last week I tried to cook some myself and here is the result, pictured with ginger tuna and lime, avocado, cherry tomato salad – not the most suitable accompaniment I know…
So, I thought I’d go with Heston Blumenthal’s recipe from
In Search of Perfection (see here for the recipe). Surely that’s got to be a pretty perfect potato! I was mightily surprised to find he uses olive oil – the debates that rage over the best roasties always seem to be about goose fat, duck fat, lard… in fact anything but the healthy option. But Blumen knows best. Or does he?
I followed the recipe, leaving out the garlic and rosemary so I could get down to the nitty gritty essential taste of the potato. And I didn’t bother with peelings in a muslin bag – who keeps a muslin bag hanging around? These potatoes were undeniably crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They looked perfect. But they didn’t taste like the goosey, moreish potatoes I’m used to. There just seemed to be something missing. I don’t really want to advocate animal fat over olive oil, but if I’m only going to have roasties a few times a year, I know what I’d prefer… But what do you think?
Tags: Christmas dinner, goose fat, Heston Blumenthal, In Search of Perfection, roast potatoes, roasties
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I’m definitely in the goose fat option – any potato product cooked in animal fat is the best option for me!
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goose fat, please… If it’s bad for you, it’s gotta be good!
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I second Lizzie! Goose fat is the tops for roast potatoes. Sorry Heston, but you just don’t get it! Olive oil will make lovely sautéed potatoes in a continental bistro sort of way BUT we’re talking ‘Roast Potatoes’ to go with the Sunday Roast or Christmas Dinner!!!!! So no messing about (muslin bags – what’s going on?) Boil spuds so they nearly fall apart, drain and jiggle them in the colander as much as you dare so the outsides get fluffy, and at arms length tip them into a metal baking tray of smoking hot GOOSE FAT to roast in a hot oven – Enjoy
Celia x
BTW Goose fat isn’t all that bad for you either. -
i think its a weekday, weekend sort of thing. goose fat for a celebration, olive oil for more health concious moments.
to be fair the way the world is going we’ll be lucky to have potatoes at all. will be like Irish potato famine but angrier and hotter (global warming) and worse, eat all the goose fatty potatoes while you can!
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Thanks magic cochin – you have made me feel a lot better about preferring goose fat!
I agree with michelle – if you’re going to eat them every day then olive oil is the way to go. I reguarly roast new potatoes in it to go with fish suppers, but never really think of them as real roast potatoes though…
What about Good Oil? Has anyone tried?
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I actually vote for a mixture of animal fat, olive oil and butter. Makes for good roasties. But whether you are using animal fat or olive oil the key is to make sure it’s heat it up in a roast tin before adding the potatoes rather than drizzing it onto the potatoes when not hot. Makes them crispy on the outside while keeping the fluffiness on the inside.
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Goose fat all the way! Don’t forget to give the little blighters a good shake in a colander before they go in the oven. I also find that cutting little slits (nasty word) in the top of the par-boiled spuds works well… seems to give an extra crunch!
hope you’re well xxx
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Well I know what I think, goose fat makes the best roasties, that’s what i think! That Heston eh? Someone told him he can cook or something?
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Goose fat without a doubt! This isn’t even a debate. It’s a goose fat roasted potato fan club. And Nigella would agree and she is the queen of delicious guilt inducing comfort food.
So now you have no choice but to roast yourself a lovely goose and you’ll have enough goose fat to get you and your roasties through to next Christmas.
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Hi Food Rambler!
I love this debate as it’s quite a topical one for me.
Personally I love roast potatoes to be crispy on the outside but light and pillow on the inside and they need to have an awesome flavour, so I usually roast with garlic and fresh lemon juice.
So what was your mother’s secret roastie method. I just heat the oil to almost smoking before I add the potatoes and then sprinle some salt on top.
One thought though – have you considered replacing the goose fat with hemp seed oil, such as Good Oil: http://www.goodwebsite.co.uk
Not only does it have a slightly fresher taste (in my opinion), but it’s also a good healthy alternative to goose fat and olive oil, dramatically reducing the calorie count in your roast dinner, while not compromising on taste.
I should disclose that GOOD OIL is a client of mine, so feel free to get in touch for more information, I can also send out a sample for you to try if you like, just drop me an email.
Roasties forever! (without the goose fat)
Warmest Regards & Seasons Greetings
Chris
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Thanks for all the comments potato-lovers.
Chris, yes, I’d like to try out your hemp seed oil, thanks!
Abi -
Pingback from my goose is cooked - now what? « foodrambler on December 26, 2008 at 3:41 pm
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