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 My
grandmother used to make wonderful roast potatoes, but whenever I
try to make them they come out like rocks. Is there some ancient trick
that I haven't been told?
Julie M., Birmingham,
England
It sounds like you're not parboiling the potatoes first. Of course,
the real key to successful roasties is the selection of the potato.
It should be floury, rather than waxy (a plain old russet is best).
Then peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Place in salted water
and bring to the boil. Boil for about four minutes and drain. Return
them to the pan and put back over a VERY low heat and shake about.
This will dry out the outer layers of the potatoes, which will make
them more crunchy. Place a roasting tin with oil, butter or meat
juices (recommended) in a 425 oven until hot. Add the potatoes and
roll in the oil or fat to coat, then roast for about an hour, turning
every fifteen minutes. The roast potatoes should be crunchy on the
outside and fluffy on the inside.
When should chargers be used?
Alice O. Sebastopol, California
Never. Chargers are undoubtedly one of the most fatuous pieces of
table service ever devised. We didn't have them in my day, or in
my grandmother's. In fact, so far as I can make out the idea is
wholly American. Why anyone would want to set a table with large
fancy dishes that then have to be removed after the first course
is beyond me. Dinner parties are enough work without creating yet
another reason to leap to your feet. It is a far better idea to
invest in some really nice china and use the dinner plate as the
"base plate" to your place setting. The soup or appetizer would
then be placed on a smaller plate on top of the base plate. This
not only looks very attractive, it is functional as well - when
the soup/appetizer is removed, lo! there is the dinner plate ready
for the next course.
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