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1
Peel the potatoes and remove any blemishes.
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2
Cut large ones into two or more pieces so that they are all roughly the same size.
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3
If doing ahead, place in a pan of cold water so that they do not discolour.
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4
Heat the oven to fairly hot - between gas mark 5 (375F) and gas mark 7 (425F).
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5
If you want to speed up cooking, use a higher temperature (if your oven does not have a fan, put the shelf at the top of the oven) and put the cooking dish in to pre-warm.
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6
Warm the fat in a small pan so that it becomes liquid.
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7
If they have been standing in water, dry the potatoes on a teacloth.
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8
(Don't use kitchen towel - you will get little bits of paper on your potatoes.
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9
).
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10
Roll each potato in the fat until it is completely covered, then lay in the cooking dish.
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11
Sprinkle the dish with salt and place in the oven.
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12
Check every half hour or so and turn them over so that they brown on all sides.
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13
If you used too much fat and it is standing more than half an inch deep in the pan, pour it off (they won't brown properly if under the fat).
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14
You can save the fat to reuse next time.
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15
Cool it before putting in the fridge.
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16
Cooking time will depend on temperature.
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17
It is very hard to overcook roasties, so start them earlier rather than later.
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18
You can always move them to the bottom of the oven if they seem to be nearly done before you want them.
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19
I often give them 2 hours.
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20
Basically, the longer they cook, the more 'waxy' the insides become, so if you like them floury, use a shorter time.
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21
As with many recipes, practice makes perfect!
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22
Some cooks like to parboil the potatoes before roasting.
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23
If you want to try this method, boil them for 5-10 minutes and reduce the roasting time by 20-30 minutes.
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24
There is another recipe on this site which tells you how to do it.
