Make your dinner a Christmas cracker
AMAZING ROAST POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
(serves 4)
600g minimum (Maris Piper or any other dry-matter spud will do); about 50ml white wine vinegar; your preferred oil; garlic cloves, crushed; thyme sprigs; rosemary sprigs; salt
METHOD:
1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces the size of a golf ball. Take a fork and scrape the edges. Go mad on this – you want lots of texture.
2. Place them in a pan of cold water, which you have salted to taste like the sea. Add the vinegar a drop at a time. You want to just be able to taste it.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for two to five minutes, then take off the heat and leave the potatoes to cool in the water.
Once they are almost falling apart, pour into a colander to drain. Shake it about to fluff up the edges of the potato pieces even more. Leave to cool at room temperature for about half an hour.
4. Set your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and pour a thin layer of oil (or fat from your turkey) into a roasting tray. Place in the oven to heat. Once it is smoking hot, remove from the oven and toss your potatoes in it, then add some crushed garlic and herbs. Roast for about 35 minutes or until the potatoes have just started to colour.
5. Remove from the oven and cool in the tray for half an hour, rolling the potatoes around in the fat now and again, and gently crushing them a little too.
6. Turn your oven up to 220°C/gas mark 6. When you are about ready to serve the potatoes, give them a final blast in the hot oven or deep fat fryer for five to 10 minutes to crisp up.