Roast Potatoes

Possibly my favourite part of every Sunday dinner, Christmas will be no different. The roast spud is the almost mystical part of the meal that only grandmothers seem to be able to get right. I recently realised that this may be because they used copious amounts of fat, surely the one stipulation for a great roastie. The choice of fat is a very personal thing. Goose or duck fat seems to be the default for Christmas, while the fat from a roasting chicken is favoured for the average Sunday meal. Those who are more health conscious tend to go for olive oil while butter is still favoured by many. I have recently switched from goose fat to lard. Try it, you won't regret it! Jamie Oliver's trick of gently pushing down on the potatoes with a masher halfway through cooking ensures a spectacular crust and is well worth the 30 seconds of extra effort.

Instructions

1. Put a few heaped tablespoons of lard (or your chosen fat) in a roasting pan and put into a 190 degree oven.

2. Use your favourite roasting potatoes, for most that will probably be Roosters. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces, leaving small potatoes whole. Put them into a large pot and cover with cold water, add plenty of salt and a bay leaf and bring to the boil.

3. Once the water comes to the boil, cook for ten minutes before draining well in a colander. Move the potatoes around a bit in the colander to fluff up the edges. remove the roasting dish from the oven and carefully pour the potatoes in. Season well before turning the potatoes around in the fat to ensure all the surfaces are covered. Put back into the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

4. Remove the dish from the oven and, with a potato masher, gently push down on the potatoes to break them open a little. Don't push down too hard, the idea is to just increase the surface area of the potato to get it extra crispy. Turn the potatoes once more in the oil and put back into the oven for another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

Pete's Perfect Portion 11

Cracklings

A couple of months ago I got the crazy idea to buy half a pig. Actually I wanted a full pig but when I realised the size I decided on half instead. Last week my idea came to fruition as Richard took the long trip from Mayo to Kinneagh with 40Kg of fresh pork in his boot. After an apology for the lack of a head in the box and a quick chat about all things Pork, I got to work.

At the end of all my processing I was wondering what to do with all the remaining back fat. I decided to make lard (surely it'll come in handy over Christmas right?!) What I didn't think I would get is the delicious crispy bits leftover after the fat is finished rendering. With a sprinkle of salt these golden beauties become the most delicious savory snack. I'll be posting a recipe over the next couple of weeks but if you come across some back fat in the mean time, don't throw it out, stick it in the freezer, these nuggets are worth the wait!