The Best Roasted Potatoes Ever

This year for Christmas Eve I roasted a goose. I did it for the first time last year, mainly because fresh goose is pretty widely available, and I’ve always been curious about what goose tasted like ever since reading A Christmas Carol as a kid. Yes, I draw on literary references from my childhood into my everyday life here in London. Why wouldn’t I?

That’s when I fell on the best part of roast goose (aside from the delicious fattiness of the bird itself): the best roasted potatoes ever, cooked in goose fat. Oh, molly. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

The best roasted potatoes ever start with good quality fat, such as goose fat. If you can’t find goose fat, duck fat will do. If you can’t buy a jar of the stuff pre-rendered, you can actually drain fat from your own roast (even turkey fat will do). The difference between using a poultry fat versus canola oil is flavor. There’s a depth of flavor that exists when you use a fat that’s been cooked off of a roast bird. Of course, if you just can come by any good fat, canola oil (or vegetable or sunflower oil) will do. It’s just that you’ll find yourself saying, “These are really, really excellent roast potatoes. But are they the best roasted potatoes ever?” And sadly, that answer will be a resounding, no.

While Thanksgiving this year was an epic host-a-thon, Christmas has been purposely quieter. My parents came to visit us, and together we soaked in the gorgeous festivities all over London. I love having a big, bursting-at-the-seams Thanksgiving dinner, full of friends and family and feasting, but I love a small, intimate Christmas just as much. It’s the best of both worlds.

Regardless of the size of the party, these roasted potatoes are a must. Crunchy and golden on the outside, yet pillowy on the inside, these roasted potatoes don’t become the best ever without some serious time and commitment. In fact, I start making these potatoes well before the roasted goose is done (or, in the case of our actual Christmas dinner, steaks). You need the time, and these babies emerge screaming hot from the oven, which means you have a few minutes to finish cooking up your other dishes while these guys cool out a little. Budget your time wisely, and you will be rewarded with the best roasted potatoes ever.

We devoured these potatoes the other night, toasted another great year and tucked into bed early for a long, luxurious sleep.

It really was the best ever.

The Best Roasted Potatoes Ever

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 pounds medium white potatoes (Maris Piper, if available), washed and peeled
½ cup rendered goose fat (if you don't have goose fat, try duck or turkey fat) or canola/sunflower/vegetable oil (note: do not use olive oil for this recipe, as it has a lower smoking point and will turn your oven into a hot, smoky mess)
2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt, divided
freshly ground pepper, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius).
Cut your potatoes into equal-sized chunks of about 2 inches wide and put in a heavy-bottomed stockpot with a lid. Cover the potatoes with water so that there's about an inch of water over the potatoes. Add a tablespoon of salt.
Put the potatoes on a large burner and turn the heat on high. Cover the pot and bring the potatoes to a boil (no need to stir!). Once the water starts boiling, let the potatoes cook for about 4-6 minutes until they can be pierced with a sharp knife but still have a little bit of crispness/resistance. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the potatoes.
Once the potatoes come to a boil, pour the fat into a baking sheet and slide it into the oven to let the oil heat for around 10 minutes.
Return the potatoes to the pot and cover again. With the lid on, cover the pot with a dish towel and grab both handles. Shake the pot back and forth, knocking the potatoes around so that they get all rough around the edges.
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using tongs, carefully drop the potatoes into the hot oil, taking care to spread them into an even layer. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast the potatoes for 45-50 minutes. Check on the potatoes about halfway through, turning the potatoes with the tongs to make sure they brown evenly on all sides.
Remove the potatoes from the oven when they are golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with another tablespoon of salt. Season with pepper and serve almost immediately.