Mrs Bailey’s Garlic Roast Potatoes
To say nothing of the ginger…
Shockingly easy is always a good look in a recipe, especially when you have two hundred-odd hungry adolescent mouths to feed, and the staff besides. And Mrs Bailey’s simplest dishes are often her most popular. Never a tray of these potatoes comes back anything other than empty.
More good roasting potatoes than you think you’ll need, peeled and cut into pieces
Oil, lard or goose fat (in rising order of preference)
One head of garlic per tray of potatoes
One bunch of spring onions per tray, cut into pieces
Thinly sliced garlic and shredded fresh ginger
Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with water and add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Bring to the boil, and simmer for five minutes. Drain, and shake about in the colander to roughen up their edges for maximum crisp.
Pour a generous amount of oil or fat into a roasting tray. Divide the head of garlic in half equitorially, and place both halves in the tray, cut side down.
Put the tray into the oven, and set it to 425F.
Add the potatoes to the hot pan, turning them over in the oil. Return to the oven and roast for an hour, turning at the halfway mark.
At the end of that time, the potatoes should be deeply gold and very crisp. Add the spring onions to the pan, together with the garlic and ginger slices. Salt and pepper generously, and toss for a minute, then serve.
You can find more of Mrs Bailey’s recipes — now in organised categories! — here:
And the other legends of the Crater School are all recorded here:
