Perfect Roast Potatoes | Gill Meller

Here's Gill Meller, head chef at River Cottage, making perfect roast potatoes for Christmas: crispy on the outside and fluffy within. What's your secret? Tell us below.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1kg of floury potatoes, such as Cara or King Edward, cut no bigger than a golf ball (for four people)
• Beef dripping (or 50-50 olive/sunflower oil if you prefer)
• Salt
• Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Par-boil the potatoes in gently boiling salted water for about 10 minutes (from cold to simmer). Stop cooking before they're tender all they way through. Strain through colander and put to one side.
Leave them to cool completely for 10/15 minutes to dry up.

Meanwhile put the beef dripping in a baking tray for about 10 minutes until smoking hot. Add the potatoes and turn them in the pan. Add twist of pepper and a pinch of salt and put them in an oven at 190C.

Roast for 35 minutes,then give them a turn and return for a further 15 minutes.

Remove, pile them up high in a bowl and serve.

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[TheDrabenaldt]

Best roast potatoes ever made. Thanks for the (barely simple) recipe. Ate my first roast ones in 1974 in Britain, never got rid of this very british way of performing potatoes...

[criticalmass]

You, Sir, are a genius. I'll be giving these a go as soon as the opportunity arises.

[georgecharlton]

After I have boiled mine, I drain out the water, put a lid on the pot and shake it about a bit, careful not to break them up completely but just soften them a bit - that way they get a fluffy exterior and you get an extra crispyness! 

[presidentoxford]

Gil is the most interesting, nicest of the River Cottage crew. This is a great recipe. I'd add garlic & rosemary for a knockout result.

[lanii]

Very beautiful video!  Love your wonderful

[Forevertrue]

Everyone is a freaken critic. Great potatoes, simple and easy. Thanks for this.

[JohnSmith-fkrr]

This guys always seems like he's salivating

[mariaviliamu]

my mum used to roast her potatoes in dripping, the yummiest I've ever had

[UsurpersAndAssassins]

They look amazing. I am a life long lover of roast potatoes, so every recipe is a chance to try something slightly different

[timothypage]

A different way of sorting the potatoes in the US, but luckily I live in Vermont, and a lot of good heirloom varieties are grown here. I couldn't say if one is BEST, but they certainly all behave in their own delicious manner.

[pamelakelly]

Yum! Never used beef fat before to make roasted pots. I am going to give this a try. I have been making bone broth so I have some beef fat!!!! Appreciate you sharing this video....

[fionangatoko]

Gosh so easy the way Gill shows how to prepare simple cooking of vegs👍👍

[dessier]

Yep will be making these at Christmas, cooking for 11 friends and family and I want to give them a Christmas dinner they will never forget. Thank you. Have a great Christmas. X

[helenumoren]

great. i love trying something new. thanks for the recipe

[zentraveler]

The choice of watching a charismatic, handsome man, with a nice accent, versus watching potatoes boil? Honestly...

[nerissagaynor]

I am going to try this recipe right now simple good job,

[sipariumsporting]

Yes! Beef dripping every time. Also great with the perennial favourite goose fat, but dripping is cheap and has so much flavour! Trust River Cottage to recommend the tasty and great value way of doing things.

[laduqesa]

I do mine with olive oil. I parboil the floury potatoes, let them steam off for a while then add them to the roasting tin. I drizzle some olive oil over them, just a tablespoon and a half for a kilo of potatoes, then jig them round the tin so that the potatoes are completely covered with a thin layer of the oil. I then sprinkle Finnish aromisuola over the potatoes and pop them in a 200 degree oven on the top shelf for 30 minutes. After that time, I turn the potatoes over and roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Perfect results every time. Crispy roast pots that are fluffy and floury inside.

[keithmy-style]

Fantastic Chef.
Will cook this recipe tomorrow.👌

[saltygreek]

Looks like I am gonna be watching your vidsall weekend long 👍keep em coming !