Best Ever Crunchy Roast Potatoes

In addition to our crunchy crackling roast pork we had on Sunday night, we had my best ever crunchy roast potatoes which I serve with every roast meal. It’s pretty simple to get them crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Par boil for about 7 to 10 mins. Once cooked, drain and return to pan. Move around on warm hot plate just to remove any moisture from the potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. (I like to use rock salt.) Put the lid on the saucepan and give it a good shake, to ‘rough up’ the potatoes.

Spread on a baking sheet lined with paper and roast until golden and crispy. Mine usually take about half an hour.

The results speak for themselves. I sometimes cut them up a bit smaller to have with steak or a Greek lamb dish. You can sprinkle with a little rosemary or toss through a little crushed (or roasted) garlic when having them ‘Greek style’.

One pot roast chicken & potatoes

As much as I love to cook anything from breakfast to the evening meal to baked goods, I often get stumped over the most simplest of ingredients, that being chicken and beef. There has to be about 3 trillion recipes for each but sometimes you’re just spoilt for choice. I had chicken legs defrosted and really wasn’t feeling inspired. A quick ‘google’ and a recipe showed up for “Chicken Drumsticks and Roast Potatoes in a Rich Tomato Sauce“. I’ve just adjusted it here and there and called it a “One Pot Roast Chicken & Potatoes” dish. It was quick, easy and tasty. Just what I needed after a busy day.

One Pot Roast Chicken & Potatoes
(based on “Chicken drumstick and roast potatoes in a rich tomato sauce“)

chicken drumsticks or pieces
potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste/ketchup
3 teaspoons dried rosemary or thyme
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
steamed vegetables, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Place drumsticks and potatoes in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Combine stock and tomato paste/ketchup in a small saucepan over a medium/low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Combine rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle garlic over chicken and potatoes. Pour stock mixture into base of roasting pan (do not pour over chicken). Drizzle oil over chicken and potatoes. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
3. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with steamed vegetables.

Note:  I added a teaspoon of instant gravy powder mixed with a little water to the sauce and stirred until thickened on the stove top.

Greek Moussaka with Eggplant & Potatoes

Mince (ground meat) is a cheap cut of meat and can get quite boring being made up into the same usual dishes. It doesn’t have to be. Greek Moussaka is an interesting, flavoursome dish that incorporates the typical flavours of Greece with cinnamon, garlic and oregano which is layered with both eggplant (aubergines) and potatoes and topped with a rich bechamel sauce. I used a recipe of Rick Stein’s and added potatoes.

Greek Moussaka with Eggplant & Potatoes
Based on Rick Stein’s Recipe

150-175ml/5-6fl oz olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
900g/2lb lean minced lamb
50ml/2 fl oz white wine or 1 tbs wine vinegar
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
1 x 5cm/2in piece cinnamon stick or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
a handful of fresh oregano leaves, preferably wild Greek oregano, chopped or 1 tbs dried oregano
3 large aubergines (eggplant)
2 potatoes, sliced and par boiled for 10 mins
salt and pepper

Topping:
75g/3 oz butter
75g/3oz plain flour
600ml/1 pint milk
50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 medium eggs, beaten

1. For the lamb sauce, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry until just beginning to brown. Add the minced lamb and fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, cinnamon and oregano and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes while you make everything else.
2. Slice the stalks off the aubergines and cut them lengthways into 5mm/1/4 inch slices. Heat a frying pan until it is jumping hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and a layer of aubergine slices and fry quickly until tender and lightly coloured on each side.  Repeat with the rest of oil and aubergines.
3. For the topping, melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the flour and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute to cook out the flour. Gradually beat in the milk, bring to the boil, stirring, and leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Stir in the cheese and some salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly and then beat in the eggs.
4. Preheat the oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the cinnamon stick from the lamb sauce, season to taste with some salt and pepper and layer it alternatively with aubergines and potatoes. Pour over the topping and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Spanish Pork Potatoes & Chorizo

Nothing like a warm, hearty stew to warm you at night and this slow cooker meal hit the spot. I used pork forequarter chops, with the bone in, for this. The cheaper cut of meat for the slow cooker or stewing, the better. The meat just falls off the bone and is tender and soft. There’s just something about potatoes and chorizo. They nearly go together as well as chocolate and peanut butter (oh no, did I mention that again).

Spanish Pork Potatoes & Chorizo

2 pork forequarter chops (or other cut of pork suitable for slow cooking)
3 medium potatoes, quartered
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs red wine vinegar (or any wine vinegar)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbs plain flour
1 tbs sweet paprika
6 sprigs thyme (or 1 tbs dried)
green olives (optional)
chopped parsley to serve

Pan fry the pork in the olive oil. Once browned, add to the slow cooker. Fry sliced chorizo in the same pan and once crispy, add to the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with the wine vinegar, add the flour and stir for a couple minutes, the add the stock. Stir until thickened and add to the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on slow for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours (or in the oven for an hour and a half on 180 deg C). Add olives and chopped parsley to serve.

Serves 2.