I think that golden potatoes, or roast potatoes as most people call them, are wonderful. They are so typically British. Golden parsnips are also good.
Golden potatoes are first boiled like ordinary boiled potatoes, though for a shorter time, and then coated with fat or oil and roasted in the oven. Typically they are placed in a pan under a piece of meat (that is also being roasted) for the last hour.
roast chicken with golden potatoes for two to three persons
- one nice chicken
- 500 gram (1 lb) potatoes
- two or three parsnips (optional)
- parsley and thyme stuffing (optional)
- 250 gram (½ lb) peas (optional, frozen or fresh)
- salt and pepper
Clean the chicken, remove any feathers or giblets, dry and prick all over. Rub inside and outside with salt and pepper (and paprika pepper).
Optionally make stuffing (from a packet if you wish) and stuff bird.
Preheat oven to 175°C or 350°F or gas mark 4. Place bird on grid in the oven and underneath a pan to catch the juices. Roast for 90 to 120 minutes and baste with the juices occasionally.
Peel the potatoes (and parsnips). One hour before the end of the roasting time boil the potatoes for 15 minutes; add salt as usual. Add the hot potatoes to the pan in the oven (without water using your wonderful slotted spoon). Baste the potatoes and the bird occasionally. Raise oven temperature to 200°C for more colour.
Serve the roast chicken and golden potatoes with boiled peas (and golden parsnips and boiled potatoes if you so wish).
See also perfect roast chicken.
how to baste Use a kitchen brush to paint the juices (fat etc.) from the pan all over the potatoes and on top of the bird. The brushes with the wobbly coloured silicone frilly bits are the best. For smaller (dry) birds you can place a rasher or two of bacon on top of the bird. For bigger birds a baster is good to remove unneeded juices (and prevent a fire) and to baste the bird. A baster is a big glass pipette.
is it done? Carefully cut through a wing joint: If the flesh at the joint is red or pink then the bird is underdone. Do not eat underdone birds (health risk). If the wing falls off then the bird is overdone (my choice). If the bird or potatoes need more roasting but the bird is burning on the top then protect the top with a piece of aluminium foil.
what about the giblets? Clean and boil the giblets for ten minutes and allow to cool. Remove hard and bony bits, chop fine (mince or grind), and add to the stuffing (or make a stuffing with breadcrumbs, butter, sage, salt and pepper). Use liquid for a sauce. Make stuffing(s) first.