Roast Potatoes?

Question

i would be glad for any help on how to cook a roast dinner.
like i cannot seem to get the timing right and have everything all cooked together,
is there a time ratio i can use like for potatoes, and the joint. or chicken.
also when do i put the greens and carrots on

thanks
Joe

Answer 1

Roasts vary depending on type & weight of meat. So follow butchers instructions and allow to settle for 15 minutes before carving. Approx one hour before the meat is done add the potatoes to the roasting tin and baste them in the meat fat. (the potatoes must be brought to the boil and immediately drained and allowed to dry (wet potatoes wont absorb the fat) before putting them in the tin. Carrots can be boiled in plenty of time and left in the pan water until you are ready for them. Allow 10 minutes for other veg inc greens as they only need to boil for a couple of minutes before they are ready. keep the veg water for the gravy. once you have removed the meat onto the carving dish and put the potatoes in a bowl then stir in some plain flower to the roasting dish soaking up all the fat anf stock over a medium hob. then add the veg water and stir out all the lumps, add gravy browning if required and - voila!

Answer 2

I am a vegge so cannot help with the meat. Greens and veggies take 20 mins so you can put them on at the same time. Below is a great roast potato recipe:

Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes per person
garlic
sunflower oil
salt

Peel the potatoes and chop them in half. Put them in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 7 or 200 degrees. Take a roasting pan and cover the bottom with a thick layer of sunflower oil. Put in the oven to warm up.

Once the potatoes are cooked drain. Toss them in the colander or gently rub them over with a fork to texture the outsides.

Take the hot oil out of the oven and carefully pour the potatoes into it. Use a spoon to cover them all in oil. Add 1 clove of garlic per person (peeled but not chopped) to flavour the oil and give the potatoes some flavour.

Cook for 1 hour (or longer if you like them really crispy). Every 15 minutes remove the pan from the oven and turn the potatoes over in the oil to make sure they get crispy all over.

Once they are cooked remove from the pan and lightly salt.

Answer 3

Joe timing IS everything. Depending on the size of the roast, let's just say it's small, about the same size as a chicken, they both will cook in about the same amount of time give or take 15 minutes which is about the same time it take for steaming veggies. Now if you cooking "Greens" as in collard greens they take a whole lot longer and those you're not going to steam anyway, but green beans, broccoli and the such, 15min at the tops. Your Q says roasted potato's, those you can put in with your roast or chicken, put both on a wire rack to keep them off the bottom and out of the liquids so they won't sog out. So recap, the veggies the last 10-15min of your roasting time, that gives you a little leeway to let your roast or chicken to rest before carving, good luck

Answer 4

Really, honestly - its is dead simple if you follow these instructions!

It depends on what you are cooking meat wise, but prepare everything at the same time. So peel and chop the veggies and the potatoes in advance)

Once the oven is at the right temperature, then pop the meat in and cook for the right amount of time (no point me telling you what this is, its usually 20 mins per lb so work it out from that)

If the meat is poultry and therefore has giblets then make sure these have been removed (I have cooked the chicken with them inside once - you only ever do it once!) and pop them into a pan of cold water with a chopped onion, some bay leaves and some black peppercorns. Heat this and bring to the boil - once boiled allow to simmer until it starts to smell quite strong, then turn off and leave - this will be the base for your gravy.

While the meat is cooking, pop the pots into a pan of cold water, add some salt and bring to the boil. Then drain and leave to dry out (dont cook them - you just want them par-boiled)

30 mins before the meat is due to finish cooking, pop an oven tray in the oven with some olive oil in it to heat up - place it at the top of the oven.

When the meat has finished, take it out of the oven, and cover loosely with foil. Leave it.

Turn the heat up to maximum, take out the tray of oil and pop the potatoes into it. Turn them so they are well covered with oil ( i do this on the hob so they are sizzling when they go in) and pop them back into the oven.

15 minutes later, turn the potatoes and then pour boiling water over your already prepared veg, bring them back to the boil and simmer til they are cooked (this should only be 2 or 3 minutes if you like them to have some bite!)

Now take the meat out of its roasting tin, reserve the juices from the meat and use this, plus your giblet stock to make the gravy (I can give you directions if you need me to)

By now you should have perfect veg, perfect pots and perfect meat! Just carve the meat, serve the pots and veg and pour the gravy! Simple.

PS: If you are having a starter, eat this just after you have taken the meat out of the oven and put the pots in. Its the perfect amount of time.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

You've been given some great tips on how to cook everything so here's how to time it all accurately.

Work out how long you need to have the meat in the oven for - you can work this out from the weight of the meat, for arguments sake lets say it will take 2½ hours. Potatoes take an hour to roast plus 20 mins to parboil. Veg takes 20 mins

Write down the time you want to eat - say 2pm and work backwards so veg will go on at 1:40, spuds in the oven at 1pm so put on to boil at 12:40 and meat in at 11:30. You need to pre-heat the oven so that would be put on at about 11:00/11:15 depending whether electric or gas.

It's very easy as long as you work it all out beforehand and write it down so you know what you're doing and when!

Answer 6

Roast dinners are one of the simplest meals you can possibly make.

lets say for instance you are making roast lamb. Prepare the lamb the night before (I like to put springs of rosemary and slivers of garlic into holes in the skin on it). Work out the timings of everything on a piece of paper before you cook it.

For instance the roast meat goes in first, then the potatoes, then the vegetables.

Meat can rest for up to 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven if you need the time.

For the best roast potatoes, par boil some maris piper potatoes (or desiree). (peel them and cut them in three so the middle section is like a triangle, add salt to the water and boil the water from cold with the potatoes in). Once they've boiled for about 10 minutes, drain them and put in a large spoon of semolina (yes that stuff they make puddings from - thanks Nigella for that tip). Put the lid on the pan and shake it to make the edges all fluffy. Put the potatoes in a baking tray which has olive oil in it and has already been in the oven. Baste them every so often and they will be the best ever I promise!

For veggies, best way to cook them is to steam them if you have a steamer or microwave them, it's quick and keeps in all the vitamins.

If you don't fancy making gravy the instant stuff goes down just as well. Enjoy!!!!

Answer 7

I find you have to boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes. Make sure you start them in cold water though and then bring to the boil and allow to boil for 15 minutes. Give the potatoes a really good shake in the sieve so they go fluffy round the edge. Then put them in the preheated oven after you have covered them in oil. If you are cooking the meat as well, the fat from the meat makes for really good, flavour-some roast potatoes. Make sure they are nice and crispy when they are cooked. 30-40 minutes in the oven at about 200 degrees does the job nicely. Depends on how crispy you want them though.

Always following instructions for cooking the meat. Clear juices when you poke it with a knife generally indicates it is cooked. Try not to put the oven too hot and let the meat cook gently. Over cooking makes it tender, under cooking, well makes gravity hit your guts a bit harder than normal!!!!!

Answer 8

Pre heat oven, to about gas 4-5, 180 degrees or equivalent Well, meat first obviously, wipe it, season it, cover it in foil, and aim for roughly 20 mins per pound of meat, plus twenty mins, PLUS RESTING TIME. Resting time is important. (leave in turned off oven, with veg to keep hot!)For more acurate cooking times, check aluminium foil box. Next for roast potatoes, peel and cut into even sized chunks, and put in cold salted water, bring to boil and cook for about 10-15 mins, drain, shake pan to rough up edges, then either put around roast for the last 3/4 of an hour to cook, or place in a roasting tray of it's own in a little oil or goose fat is best for really crunchy golden roasties. Veg take about 10-20 mins depending. Keep greens slightly underdone, not soft and soggy...carrots take about 10-15 mins till just soft last but not least, gravy - drain off most of fat from roasting tin, add flour and make a roux, cook for a minute or so, add veg water and stock cubes or stock, glass of wine, whisk so no lumps - and voila - one roast dinner! Good luck!

Answer 9

"Roast Chicken" - 4 servings

1 roasting chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lbs.)
2 medium onions; divided
2 carrots; sliced
1/2 lemon; cut into 4 wedges
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425*. Remove bag with neck and gizzards from chicken cavity (reserve for another use). Rinse chicken until cold water and pat dry.
Cut 1 onion into 1/2" pieces. Place in roasting pan with carrots. Cut remaining onion into 4 wedges and place in chicken cavity with lemon wedges and half the sage. Tuck wing tips under wings by bending fold under back of chicken. Separate skin and add remaining herbs.
Place chicken on vegetables in pan. Tie legs together over cavity. Brush with oil; squeeze remaining lemon wedge over chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place in oven and roast 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375* and continue roasting 45 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with fork or meat thermometer registers 165*. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 15 minutes. Skim fat from pan juices; serve with vegetables.

Answer 10

Put the chicken in first then in the last hour put the potatoes in the oven to roast (you don't need to pre boil them) then in the last 15mins put your veg on or do the veg in a microwave it takes about 3 mins doing it that way, my food is gorge so I'm sure yours will be