A Sunday lunch with roast chicken, baked potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy is one of the classic English dishes that rise into the culinary sublime or dive into the dismal. A good experience leaves you satisfied and tired of a bad British food passes to the doldrums, where our European neighbors shake their heads sadly overcooked on our penchant for wet, cottage cheese and greasy meat.
In our family, is the rest of the Sunday lunch on the second place,Roast potatoes – they are the raison d'être of the Sunday lunch, and when I try to produce, and a casserole with potatoes as a change, I am strictly speaking from my four years old, that it is not a proper Sunday lunch.
In my zeal to keep the family happy over the last few years I have gradually perfected the art of fried potatoes, until golden brown, crispy and soft and fluffy but not soggy inside.
Here are my methods for the perfect roast potatoes:
1. Par-boil the potatoes first.
Once they are peeled and cut into similar sizes (small potatoes in half, huge need in four), bring the potatoes in cold salted water to a boil. If the pot is cooking, boil for about 4 minutes, then drain to keep water out (some for the sauce later), allow to evaporate some of the steam, then clamp on the lid and shake the potatoes are slightly above, until the edges rolled and fluffed. This is what the hot oil to absorb on a similar surfacePotato-frying. Leave the lid to dry from now on it a little, until the oil is ready.
2. Heat the oil first.
In a frying pan that is large enough to take the potatoes in one layer, often enough olive oil or vegetable oil and mix to cover the bottom with ease. The potatoes are not bathing in the oil as you think less than ½ cm / ¼ inch deep. Put the tray into the hot oven (200C/400F) for 10 minutes until the potatoes in. Once the oil is hot to go, insert thePotatoes, so they sizzle and they throw them.so coated all over, then return the tray to the oven for roasting. The potatoes can be turned two or three times during cooking.
3. Timing.
The potatoes need to remain in the hot oven until the last minute when you are ready to lunch. If they hang to keep themselves warm, they will lose their crisp edge and gradually disappear into leathery balls. You need to reach 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 200C / 400F, for optimum crispness too. Time, the meatbe ready 10 minutes ahead of them, so it can rest, you can summon the troops and the sauce at the table, and then the potatoes still produce sizzling from the oven. If people can end the potatoes another 10-15 minutes and still crunchy in the oven, but after that I just get on and eat them without the stragglers!
4. Roasters.
I get the email from my crispiest roasting tins. Pyrex bowls cause softer, less crispy potatoes, no metal trayis better.
5. Temperature.
Keep the hottest part of the oven for the potatoes. Juggling roast potatoes and all that is difficult in a small oven, but the potatoes are just crispy when they are in the hot sun for a while sunbathing. If all else fails, if the meat comes out, turn the oven up to max and the potatoes to the top shelf for a beam. Last on the list of emergency funds, she sat under a hot grill (broiler) for the last five minutes, while you arealways the table ready.
Once you clear your potatoes are another problem – you can never have enough of them perfected. I now possible to five per person in our family!
Copyright 2007 Kit Heathcock