Gastropub Roast Potatoes

Name: Gastropub Roast Potatoes
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 680 g starchy potatoes, such as Russet or Yukon Gold; 2 tbsp kosher salt, for the water; 9 g baking soda; 6–8 tbsp goose fat, duck fat or beef tallow; 2 g rice flour or semolina (optional); rosemary sprigs (optional); flaky salt, to finish

Also called British roast potatoes, roasties

Peeled potatoes par-boiled with baking soda, roughed up and roasted in a deep layer of very hot goose fat until crackling.

Makes: 2 to 3 servings

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Scale

Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.

680 g1½ lbstarchy potatoes, such as Russet or Yukon Gold
2 tbspkosher salt, for the water
9 g1½ tspbaking soda
6–8 tbspgoose fat, duck fat or beef tallow
2 g¾ tsprice flour or semolina (optional)
rosemary sprigs (optional)
flaky salt, to finish

Method

Cut. Peel the potatoes (680 g1½ lb) and cut them into large chunks, 2 to 3 inches. A medium potato makes 3 or 4 pieces.
Par-boil. Cover with cold water in a large pot and add the kosher salt (2 tbsp) and baking soda (9 g1½ tsp). Bring to a boil, then simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until the surfaces are soft and a fork goes in with no resistance. They should be almost falling apart.
Rough up. Drain and let them steam-dry 2 minutes, then shake the colander hard several times, until the surfaces crack and look ridged. Broken bits crisp into the best ones.
Optional. Dust lightly with the rice flour (2 g¾ tsp). For an even drier surface, cool them on a rack for 30 minutes or more, or overnight in the fridge.
Heat the fat. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Put the goose fat (6–8 tbsp) in a heavy roasting pan or cast iron, not a sheet pan, for a layer about ¼ inch deep. Heat it in the oven until shimmering and almost smoking, about 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes. Tip them into the hot fat; they should sizzle. Turn to coat and spread them out with space between. Add the rosemary, if using.
Roast 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 425°F (220°C) and roast 30 to 35 minutes more. At about 25 minutes in total, flip each potato individually to brown a second face. They're done when deep brown and crackling.
Sprinkle with flaky salt the moment they come out and eat within 10 minutes.

Notes

Potatoes. Maris Piper or King Edward are the British ideal; Russets are the closest US match. Avoid waxy potatoes.
Fat. Goose fat is the classic, with duck fat or beef tallow close behind. Olive oil is a distant fourth; don't use shortening. D'Artagnan sells goose fat and Fatworks sells tallow.
Hot fat first. If the fat isn't hot when the potatoes go in, they soak it up and turn greasy.
Why baking soda. It breaks down the potato's surface into a starchy slurry, and that's what crisps. Peeling lets the fat reach it.
Pub tricks. Pour off the fat halfway and replace it with fresh hot fat, or roast the potatoes in a pan just used for a chicken or beef roast, with the liquid poured off and the brown bits scraped up. For a harder start, roast at 475°F for the first 15 to 20 minutes.