How to make perfect roast potatoes

I think we all have memories of perfect Sunday lunches with friends and family. Many of those memories include the perfectly roasted potatoes, made lovingly by a mother or grandmother, aunt or sister…

Roasting potatoes might come easy to some, but others would love to know the secret to the perfect roast potatoes. There are many ways of doing this and the number of recipes on the internet is endless. However, this recipe is the tried and tested method, used by our grandmothers. Easy enough to follow even for novice cooks.

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes (1kg for 4 people)
Water (enough to cover)
Salt
50 ml Vegetable oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 220°C
Peel the potatoes and cut them into even-sized pieces.
Place in a pan of cold salted water, bring to a boil, then drain (parboiling).
Put 50 ml oil into a roasting pan and place in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until very hot.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, add the potatoes and turn with a spoon and fork to coat in the hot oil
Return pan to the oven for 5 – 10 minutes.
Shake the tin gently to stop the potatoes from sticking. (Be careful.)
Roast for 45 minutes until crisp turning occasionally.
Lift out with a slotted spoon.

After roasting your potatoes, place them in the same roasting pan as your meat roast and coat them for about 5 minutes with the juice of the roast. It’s the best ever!

You can use duck or goose fat for a luxurious taste.

What is the perfect dressing for roast potatoes?

I love the basic as described above, but if you’d love to add a simple dressing and serve it as a side dish, you can keep the following options in mind:

Smoked paprika
Melted butter and parsley
Rosemary butter (and garlic optional)
Sour cream and chives
Red onion, lemon, and sour cream drizzle
Garlic powder or seasonings like Ina Paarman’s Reduced Salt Garlic & Herb Seasoning or Robertsons Chip & Potato Seasoning.

How to make the perfect Greek Roast Potatoes

Roast Potatoes should be: Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and with a delicious lemony flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

3 garlic cloves (or as much crushed garlic as you prefer)
3/4 cup of good quality olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano (or a bit less if fresh and finely chopped)
the juice from 2 medium lemons
2 tsp of semolina

Cut your par-boiled potatoes up in wedges, dress them with the following sauce, and bake them straight in the oven at 200 °C until golden brown.

What is oregano good for?

“Fresh oregano is a great antibacterial agent. It has phytonutrients (thymol and carvacrol), which fight infections such as staph. It’s loaded with antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, and it’s an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, manganese, iron, vitamin E, tryptophan and calcium. You go, oregano!” – webmd.com

What is oregano called in South Africa?

“Their common names can make things very confusing because the common name for (Origanum majorana) is Marjoram or Sweet Marjoram, while (Origanum Vulgaris) is often called Oregano, Wild Marjoram, or simply, Marjoram. In Afrikaans Oregano is called Oreganum and Marjoram is Marjolein.” – gardeninginsouthafrica.co.za