Forum Replies Created
-
DUCK FAT ROAST POTATOES
Duck fat give roast potatoes a wonderful flavour… it also makes them extra crispy!
Where to get Duck Fat.
You can easily buy duck fat from the supermarket these days. Alternatively, roast a whole duck in the oven and, part way through, drain the fat off into a new roasting tin, before returning the duck to the oven. Turn your par boiled potatoes in the hot fat, then place in the ovenWHAT TO SERVE DUCK FAT POTATOES WITH?
The most obvious thing to serve roast duck fat roast potatoes with is a whole roast duck!
Alternatively, you could serve these delicious roasties with roast duck legs, roast chicken, roast turkey or roast beef.Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine British
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 peopleIngredients
Metric – US Customary
4 tablespoons cold duck fat (Or whatever you find in the duck roasting tray!)
1 kg white potatoes peeled and cut into 50g/1¾oz pieces (The kind sold as baking potatoes work best.)
Salt and pepper to tasteInstructions
1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
2. Place the cold duck fat into a large roasting tin and place into your heating oven.
3. Meanwhile, peel and cut your potatoes into pieces approximately 50g/1¾oz. (It doesn’t have to be exact!)
4. Place your chopped potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
5. Turn the heat on high and cook for 12 minutes. (Start timing straight away, not when the water starts boiling.)
6. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return to the pan.
7. Allow to steam dry for 5 minutes, then place a lid on the pan and shake hard to rough up the edges and maximise the amount of crispiness!
8. Remove the fat from the oven and carefully tip the potatoes into the hot fat. (Take care not to splash the fat as it is VERY hot and will burn you if it touches your skin!)
9. Quickly turn the potatoes in the hot fat and then return the tray to the oven.
10. Cook the roast potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how crisp you like them!
11. To ensure even cooking and maximum crispiness, remove the potatoes from the oven twice during cooking and turn the potatoes in the hot fat / spoon the hot fat over the potatoes. Work quickly and then return the roasties to the oven.Notes
1. If you are cooking a whole roast duck and wish to use the fat from the roast duck for your roast potatoes, simply cook the duck for 30 minutes, then remove the duck from the oven and tip all the fat that has collected in the duck tin into a new roasting tin, before returning the duck to the oven.
Turn your par boiled potatoes in the hot fat in the new tin, then place in the oven and follow the rest of the recipe as stated.
2. Suitable for freezing.WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER DUCK FAT ROAST POTATOES?
Duck fat roast potatoes are so delicious that it is extremely unlikely you will end up with any leftover roast potatoes. However, if you do, simply place in a plastic lidded container and store in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.Either eat cold, or reheat in an oven set to 220C (200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until piping hot all the way though!
CAN YOU FREEZE DUCK FAT ROAST POTATOES?
Yes, you can. Follow the recipe as stated, but only roast for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool then put the part-roasted potatoes in a lidded container and place in the freezer, where they will keep for up to 3 months.Defrost overnight in the fridge, then place in an oven heated to 220C (200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F) and roast for a further 30 minutes, or until piping hot all the way through and done to your liking
ROAST POTATOES
Quick, easy and delicious, these Easy Peasy Roast Potatoes are perfect for your Sunday lunch…in fact they are so quick and simple to make, you could even have them as a midweek treat!
Adding in red onions, garlic and rosemary really adds to the deliciousness of these Roast Potatoes, but they are not essential, so leave them out if that’s all too much faff for you!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 4 peopleIngredients
Metric – US Customary
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 kg (2¼ lb) potatoes peeled and chopped
1 large red onion peeled and chopped into 8 wedges
6 garlic cloves gently bashed (don’t remove the skin)
4 sprigs of rosemaryInstructions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C / 200C / gas mark 7 / 425F.
2. Drizzle a baking tray with enough oil to nearly coat the bottom of the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The baking tray should be large enough to fit all the potatoes in a single layer. (Use two if necessary.)
3. Put the baking tray in the oven.
4. Peel and chop the potatoes into quarters (or more pieces if large – as a guide each piece should weigh roughly 50g / 2oz, but it doesn’t matter if some are a bit smaller or larger)
5. Put the potatoes into boiling water and cook for 12 minutes on a medium heat – start timing from the moment you put the potatoes into the water.
6. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the saucepan.
7. Put the lid on and shake the pan to rough up the edges, then tumble the potatoes into the baking tray, taking care not to splash yourself with hot fat, and turn the potatoes in the oil to coat them.
8. The potatoes need to cook for about 1 hour in total.
9. After about 15 minutes get the potatoes out and spoon the hot fat over the potatoes to baste them, repeat after 30 minutes and 45 minutes. (This step is not strictly necessary but it will make the potatoes crispier and more delicious.)
10. When you get the potatoes out at the 30 minute mark, add in the onions, garlic and rosemary before basting.Notes
If you are in a hurry, chop your potatoes up a bit smaller – say 30g / 1oz pieces – and they will cook in the oven in 45 minutes.
If you do this, add in the onions, garlic and rosemary after 15 minutes.Here are todays results:
Australia – JessiCapri V Denmark – TheEqualizer
Tunisia – Unclaimed V France – LadyHot
Poland – Saga55 V Argentina – Devil4you
Saudi Arabia – Huny_yumyum V Mexico – Morkovxxx
Points awarded so far
3 points awarded for a win.
1 point each for a draw
0 points for a loss.
The next matches are tomorrow
Thursdays matches GMT times.
Croatia – Zuzannah V Belgium – JessiCapri
Canada – PC_666 V Morocco – Devil4you
Japan – Michelle989 V Spain – Vaughan
Costa Rica – Unclaimed V Germany – ZuzannahHere are todays results:
Netherlands – Huny_yumyum V Qatar – dear_abby
Ecuador – Saga55 V Senegal – Morkovxxx
Wales – Unclaimed V England – dear_abby
Iran – LadyHot V United States – Skal
Points awarded so far
3 points awarded for a win.
1 point each for a draw
0 points for a loss.
The next matches are tomorrow
Wednesdays matches GMT times.
Australia – JessiCapri V Denmark – TheEqualizer
Tunisia – Unclaimed V France – LadyHot
Poland – Saga55 V Argentina – Devil4you
Saudi Arabia – Huny_yumyum V Mexico – MorkovxxxROAST TURKEY – THE STRESS-FREE WAY!
1. MAKE SURE YOUR TURKEY IS FULLY DEFROSTED
This is crucial, if the turkey is not defrosted properly it won’t cook properly, leaving you with either underdone turkey (= food poisoning – yikes!!) or very dry and overdone turkey as you have to cook it so long to ensure it’s all fully cooked. (See below for a full guide to defrosting times.)2. ALWAYS GET THE TURKEY OUT OF THE FRIDGE 1 HOUR BEFORE COOKING TIME
This ensures the turkey is at room temperature before you start cooking – meaning that early part of cooking won’t be dedicated to bringing the temperature up from fridge temperature. This results in a shorter cooking time and a juicier, more succulent turkey.3. DON’T STUFF YOUR TURKEY
If you stuff your turkey, you have to cook it for a lot longer to ensure the stuffing is piping hot all the way through (and to ensure you are not at risk of food poisoning). This means the turkey is in the oven much longer, resulting in dried out breast meat!4. COVER THE TURKEY IN FOIL UNTIL THE LAST HOUR OF COOKING
This ensures the skin doesn’t burn before the turkey is cooked and also keeps the juices in!5. COOK THE TURKEY ON A RACK
This allows heat of the oven circulate underneath the turkey, ensuring the turkey cooks evenly (no burnt overcooked bits on the bottom). It also ensures the turkey skin stays crisp all over.6. FILL THE BOTTOM OF THE ROASTING TRAY WITH 250ML (1/2 PINT) WATER
This is another fab tip to keep the breast meat moist. During the first part of cooking the turkey is almost steamed as there is all that water plus the turkey is encased in foil helping to keep all that moisture in.7.REMOVE THE FOIL FOR THE LAST HOUR
To get really crispy skin!8. TURN THE OVEN UP FOR THE LAST 30 MINUTES
I cook my turkey at 180C (160 fan / gas mark 4 / 350F) for the majority of cooking time, but then whack the oven temp up to 220C (200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F) for the last 30 minutes – this gives really crispy skin, but isn’t long enough for the turkey to dry out. It also means the oven is the perfect temperature for getting properly crispy roast potatoes!9. REST THE TURKEY FOR 30 MINUTES UNCOVERED
Most recipes suggest you rest the turkey for an hour covered in foil and tea towels. Not only is this a whole load of extra faff right when your time could be better spent elsewhere, but it also means that carefully crisped up skin won’t be crispy anymore! I’ve experimented a bit and I think half an hour is plenty to allow the meat to become tender. After 30 minutes the turkey is still very warm, even if left totally uncovered (especially if it’s in a hot kitchen – which, let’s face it, is pretty normal on Christmas day!).10. DON’T THROW AWAY THE TURKEY GIBLETS!
So you know that little white packet of turkey innards that you get inside the cavity of your Christmas turkey that most people throw away? DON’T THROW IT AWAY!!! There is amazing flavour to be had from inside that magic packet. And the good news is that it can be turned into a delicious turkey gravy in just a couple of simple steps.HOW LONG SHOULD YOU COOK A WHOLE TURKEY IN THE OVEN FOR?
This obviously depends on your turkey size. But as a guide, roast your turkey at 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 /350F for 20 mins per kg plus 90 mins, turning your oven up to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F for the last 30 minutes.HOW MUCH TURKEY DO YOU NEED PER PERSON?
Now this really does depend on appetite! But based on medium adult appetites, you should allow 500g per person for a whole turkey, 325g per person for a turkey crown and 250g per person for a turkey breast joint (all based on uncooked turkey weight including bones etc.). Do remember kids are likely to only eat a very small amount and older relatives often have smaller appetites too.
NOTES
Cooking time based on cooking at 180C / Fan 160C / Gas 4 / 350F for the majority of cooking time, turning your oven up to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F for the last 30 minutesHOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP TURKEY LEFTOVERS IN THE FRIDGE?
Turkey leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. However, it is really important you get the leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours of being cooked to avoid food poisoning.If you choose to reheat leftovers, ensure you do this until they are piping hot
CAN YOU FREEZE ROAST TURKEY LEFTOVERS?
Absolutely! Turkey leftovers can be frozen very successfully. Having a stash of leftover turkey in your fridge ensures cheap, healthy and delicious meals throughout January.To freeze turkey leftovers, divide up the meat into meal sized portions and put into freezer proof boxes and freeze.
I like to divide up my leftovers into 400g portions – this is just perfect for a meal for a family of 4.
It’s really important you get your turkey leftovers into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of being cooked to avoid food poisoning.
If you’ve got them into the fridge straight away, but plan on freezing your leftovers, make sure you transfer the leftovers from the fridge to the freezer ASAP – certainly within a day or so of refrigerating them.
ROAST TURKEY – THE STRESS-FREE WAY!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12 peopleIngredients
Metric – US Customary1 whole turkey defrosted (timings are given above for a 5kg/11lb turkey. Please refer to the recipe and notes for alternative size turkeys and timings.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
250 ml (1 cup) cold waterInstructions
1. Remove your turkey from the fridge about an hour before you are going to cook it.
2. Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan/ gas mark 4 / 350F about 15 minutes before you want to start cooking your turkey.
It is really important that your oven is at the right temperature before you start.
3. Next, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the turkey and add a pinch of salt and a good few twists of black pepper. Rub the oil, salt and pepper all over the bird and place, breast side up on a rack in a roasting tray.
4. Pour 250ml cold water into the base of the roasting tray.
5. Calculate the roasting time based on 20 mins per kg plus 90 mins.
See notes for precise cooking times. This is the TOTAL TIME the turkey will be in the oven for.
6. Cover the turkey in foil and roast for 1 hour LESS than the total time you have calculated. The foil will help keep the breast meat juicy and stop the skin browning too soon and burning before the meat is cooked.
7. When there is 1 hour remaining of the TOTAL TIME, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil.
Baste the turkey with the juices you find at the bottom of the tin.
8. Put the turkey back in the oven, uncovered this time, for a further 30 minutes.
9. After this 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F, remove the turkey from the oven and baste with the juices.
10. Return the turkey back to the oven for a final 30 minutes. Cooking the turkey at a higher temperature will help the turkey skin to brown and crisp up.
11. This is also the perfect temperature for roast potatoes, meaning you can start them now and they will be ready when the turkey has rested for 30 minutes.
12. After a final 30 minutes (the turkey will now have cooked for the TOTAL TIME you calculated in step 3), remove the turkey from the oven and check it is done. Stick a small sharp knife in the fattest part of the turkey (between the breast and the thigh), and the juices should run clear and the meat should be white. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 74C (165F).
13. Transfer the turkey to a clean roasting tin (or similar). Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes, uncovered.
It will not get cold and the meat will taste much better for being rested. Not covering the turkey also ensures the turkey will not lose its crispy skin.
14. Use the turkey roasting tray to make delicious turkey gravy.TURKEY GRAVY
When you get your turkey home (or when you’ve defrosted it, if it’s a frozen one), have a feel around inside the cavity and you should find a small plastic packet containing the innards of the turkey plus the neck. (N.B. the neck might be separate.)
Fish it all out and pop it into a saucepan, along with some carrots, onions, peppercorns and herbs (for quantities see the recipe below).
Simmer, strain and freeze (unless it’s Christmas Day, or very nearly, in which case pop it in the fridge).WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY TURKEY GIBLETS?
If you don’t have any giblets you can make stock from the carcass of a roast chicken instead. Follow the recipe below, but use a chicken carcass instead of turkey giblets.Course Sauces
Cuisine American, British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 peopleStock
1 bag turkey giblets (innards/neck/etc.)
1 onion quartered
2 carrots roughly chopped
4 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary and/or thyme
2 tablespoons parsley stalks
500 ml (2 Cups) cold waterGravy
Turkey stock you made earlier (or 500ml/2 cups shop bought turkey stock)
2 tablespoons flour
1 unwashed turkey roasting trayInstructions
Turkey Stock
1. First put all your turkey giblets into a medium sized saucepan.
2. Add the rest of the stock ingredients and put over a medium high heat.
3. Bring to the boil, then turn right down and put a lid on. Leave to simmer away for 45 minutes.
4. After 45 minutes strain the stock through a fine metal sieve into a clean jug/bowl/saucepan and discard all the bits left in the sieve – they have done their job.
5. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature.
6. Pour into an airtight container and freeze until Christmas Day.
7. Defrost your stock for 24 hours in the fridge. Alternatively, you can defrost it the stock by zapping it in the microwave or just melt it in a saucepan over a low heat.Turkey Gravy
1. When your turkey has finished cooking, transfer it to a separate tray or rack to rest, and put the roasting tray over a medium burner on your hob.
2. Bring the juices to the boil and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of flour.
3. Stir well until all the flour has been incorporated, then tip in the turkey stock you made earlier.
4. Bring to the boil, then turn off and tip the gravy into a saucepan.
5. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes just before you want to serve the gravy.
6. You may wish to sieve your gravy for a smoother finish.Notes
Suitable for freezing.
Here are todays results:
Cameroon – TheEqualizer V Serbia – Unclaimed
Korea Republic – Vaughan V Ghana – Omar_96
Brazil – PC_666 V Switzerland – Omar_96
Portugal – Skal V Uruguay – Michelle989
Points awarded so far
3 points awarded for a win.
1 point each for a draw
0 points for a loss.
The next matches are tomorrow
Tuesdays matches GMT times.
Netherlands – Huny_yumyum V Qatar – dear_abby
Ecuador – Saga55 V Senegal – Morkovxxx
Wales – Unclaimed V England – dear_abby
Iran – LadyHot V United States – Skal
