Crackling roast potatoes
Maris Pipers boiled, roughened, and roasted in smoking fat until the outsides sound like glass. The side that becomes the main.
Prep15 min
Cook55 min
Total1 hr 10 min
Yield6 as a side
Ingredients
- 2 kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and halved
- 6 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil
- 1 tbsp semolina or polenta
- 1 head garlic, broken into cloves
- 1 bunch rosemary
- fine salt
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 220°C. Put the fat in a large roasting tin to get smoking hot.
Step 2
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, lid on, and shake until the edges fluff.
Step 3
Toss with semolina. Tip into the hot fat, turning to coat. Roast 20 minutes.
Step 4
Turn, add garlic and rosemary, and roast another 25–30 minutes until deep gold and loud.
Why this plate
A roast without these is a meeting. The shake after boiling is not optional — that mashy surface is the crust.