Thursday

Roast beef and roast potatoes





















Type of dish : Main course
To serve : 6
Preparation : 30 min
Cooking : 90 min
Budget : Reasonable
From : United Kingdom
Difficulty : Medium


Ingredients :
1.4kg/3lb Irish Topside of beef
1.1kg/2 1/2lb floury potatoes (King Edward are best)
4 tbsp goose fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Watercress for decoration

Recipe :
Weigh the joint (or remember what the butcher said) and calculate the cooking time at 15 minutes per pound plus 15 minutes extra for rare.

Prepare the potatoes: peel and cut into even sized chunks. Parboil in lightly salted boiling water. Drain. Place a lid on the pan and shake the potatoes around to rough up the surfaces. Heat goosefat in a roasting tin and transfer potatoes to it. Season. Roast at Gas 6 400F 200C for around 30 minutes, turning over now and again until crisp and golden. Remove from tin and keep warm.

Heat oil in a pan and brown beef on all sides. Transfer to a roasting tin and season with freshly ground black pepper. Place in a pre-heated oven Gas 6 400F 200C for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to Gas 4 350F 180C for remaining time. Cooking times will depend on the thickness of the joint as well. To test for ‘doneness’, rare beef should give, when squeezed or prodded with a finger. Medium is more springy. Cook for longer for more well-done.

Remove from oven when cooked to choice, and leave to relax for at least 15 minutes. Season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve on a platter in slices with best ever roast potatoes around. Decorate with a flourish of watercress.


Advice :
Potatoes roasted in goose fat make roasties with a crackly, crunchy outside, fluffy inside perfection and blissful flavour.