how can i get my roast potatoes crispy and brown?

Question

i have put oil on them (sunflower) and they are staying white! (the oven is on lol!)

Answer 1

This is what I do, and my boyfriend LOVES them! Part boil the potatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Usually I have my meat already in the oven (temp around 190 degrees) in a tray which I've added a few tble spoons of GOOSE FAT into (you can get this is all the supermarkets). Drain the potatoes in a sieve and shake them so that they slightly fluff around the edges, and then put them in the same try as the meat. Add more goose fat, and also drizzle this over the potatoes. Keep drizzling the fat over the potatoes every 20 mins or so. Once the meat is cooked, I take it out and stick it under the grill to keep warm, leaving the potatoes still in the meat tray. Whack the temperature up to 220 degrees and keep on drizzling the fat. Your roasties will be crispy and golden brown when you take them out!

Answer 2

Put the oven temperature as high as you can, the brownning also depends on the kind of potato, the more natural sugar on a particular variety, the browner they'll get when roasted or fried.

You should also heat the oil in the oven before putting the potatoes.

Tip: Try putting a little pot with water on the bottom of the oven, the steam will help to make them crispy.

Answer 3

Very good question.

First it depends on your potato. Know one type of potato from another; the fluffier the better, so new potatoes tend not to brown well as they are waxy. Look for big potatoes with purple skins.

Peel them and cut them into pieces that are all the same size, or they will cook at different rates. You also got to parboil them - meaning half-boil them. Place them in a saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil, let boil for about 10 minutes, then drain. As you drain them, shake them about in the colander so that they get roughed up a bit and develop fluffy edges.

Let them cool. Preheat your roasting tin and give it a good few glugs of oil - I use olive oil, which is the best of all oils, but what's even better (if more expensive and less healthy) is goose fat. In any case, let the oiled tin sit in a really hot oven, like over 190C, for about ten minutes. If the oil isn't really hot when the spuds hit it, they will merely absorb oil and not crisp up.

Finally, when you have introduced your part-boiled spuds to the hot oil, salt them to taste, place the whole lot in the oven and turn up the oven to about 200C. Leave alone for at least 45 minutes, preferably an hour. A good rule with roast potatoes is that they need a hotter oven and a longer cooking time than you think.

The heat and the long cooking time will crisp up the fluffy edges of the potatoes and turn them a rich deep brown on the underside. If you turn them now and again you can brown them all over.

If the joint you are cooking will be ruined at such a high temperature, as it probably will, just cook them for a good hour at whatever temperature the joint is at, and then when you take the meat out to rest before carving, whack the oven heat up to finish off the potatoes for however long you let the meat rest - 15-20 minutes at 220C ought to do it.

Sunflower oil is a waste of time. It's supposedly healthy but olive oil is far healthier and a better cooking medium. Peanut oil for deep-frying, olive oil for other kinds of frying, that's my motto. (I don't deep fry much, btw.)

Answer 4

This is what I do

Perfect Roast Potatoes

4 lb (1.8 kg) Desirée potatoes
4 oz (110 g) dripping or lard
salt

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

First place the roasting tray with the fat in it on the highest shelf of the oven while it pre-heats. Thinly peel the potatoes using a potato peeler, then cut them into fairly even-sized pieces, leaving the small ones whole. Then place them in a saucepan, pour over boiling water from a kettle, just to cover, then add salt and simmer for about 10 minutes. After that lift one out with a skewer and see if the outer edge is fluffy. You can test this by running the point of the skewer along the surface – if it stays smooth, give it a few more minutes.

Then drain off the water, reserving some for the gravy. Place the lid back on the saucepan, and, holding the lid on firmly with your hand protected by a cloth or oven glove, shake the saucepan vigorously up and down. This shaking roughens up the cooked edges of the potato and makes them floury and fluffy – this is the secret of the crunchy edges.

Now, still using the oven glove to protect your hands, remove the hot roasting tray containing its sizzling fat and transfer to the direct heat (medium) on the hob. Then use a long-handled spoon and quickly lower the potatoes into the hot fat. When they are all in, tilt the tray and baste each one so it's completely coated with fat. Now place them back on the highest shelf of the oven and leave them unattended for 40-50 minutes or until they are golden brown. There's no need to turn them over at half-time – they will brown evenly by themselves. Sprinkle them with a little crushed salt before serving straight away; they lose their crunch if you keep them waiting. If they're ready before you are, turn the oven off and leave them inside.

Answer 5

Part boil the spuds (half normal cooking time.
Drain off the water and swirls the spuds around the saucepan so they hit the sides and they get fluffy.
Meanwhile put oil into the pan and put in the hot oven to heat up. When at right temperature place spuds in the hot oil make sure you baste the oil over each spud. Sprinkle salt onto the top of each spud.
When cooked your spuds will have transformed into Roast Potatoes.

Answer 6

Put oil in oven first to heat up well - parboil spuds for a good 5 minutes, drain them off and put the lid on the pan. Bash them around in the pan for a couple of seconds then pour into the hot fat (stand back - they will splash) Into HOT oven top shelf - turn after about 15 minutes and cook until brown.

Answer 7

The best way to roast potatoes:

Leave skins on and cut potatoes into quarters. Scatter in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle enough oil on them to lightly coat each potato and then salt and pepper to taste. You can season with other spices as well. I use onion powder and garlic powder. Use your hands to toss the potatoes and oil so that they are all coated. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes, turning once in the middle. They will be brown and crunchy outside and soft in the middle. Good luck!

Answer 8

Try this, use king edwards spuds (if you can get them) bring them to boil in water, simmer for ten minutes, put them beside the roast for half hour on same low setting as the meat, when you take the meat out, spoon the meat juice over the spuds, sprinkle a little paprika over, turn oven up high for 20 mins - 30 mins.

Answer 9

Boil for 7 minutes first, then rough up the outside with a fork. Sprinkle them with sea salt. Heat goose fat up in the oven on maximum heat. Add the potatoes and return to the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Answer 10

I have my oven very hot Gas Mark 8.
The oil in the tray has to be very, very hot.
When all is ready I place the spuds on the tray and leave for about 20 mins.
And hey presto, crispy brown roast potatoes :-) everytime.