Wet spuds? Trust me gal

I know it feels a little wrong to be chucking your crispy crunchy roasties into a wine reduction, but it takes them to a new level of deliciousness. If you can’t bear to give up your Sunday roasts when it comes to the summer, this could be the next accompaniment to ya chicken babs! Making a wine reduction and then emulsifying butter into it sounds scary – it’s so much easier than you think! There’s nothing better than getting stuck into a big bowl of these white wine and shallot roasties.

The ingredients aren’t anything too exotic, this will make 4 servings:

• 7 maris piper potatoes, peeled
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 shallot, finely diced
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 200ml white wine
• 50g cold salted butter, cubed
• Flaky salt and black pepper

Peel, boil, roast – you know the drill

I like my roasties as big CHUNKERS, so I generally quarter them to make a larger size. Chuck ’em into a large pot of cold water and  season it with salt. You want it to taste like the sea! Pop in the vegetable stock cube too, then pop on a high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 7-10 minutes, until they’re just tender and falling off the end of a knife. Drain into a colander, then pop the whole thing back over the now empty pot you cooked the tatties in. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to steam dry for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180ºc fan/200ºc/400ºf while you boil your potatoes. Tip the oil into a baking tray and pop into the oven when you start to steam dry the spuds. When your oil is piping hot, carefully shake the potatoes into the baking tray. We don’t want any oil burns here, babs! Give them a good turn in the fat and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, give them one final turn and return to the oven for 20 minutes or so, until crispy and crunchy. When you give the tatties their final 20 minutes, get your white wine reduction ready.

Love a bit of vino I do x

Add the shallots, garlic, and wine into a large saucepan over a medium heat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Allow to reduce by half, then grab a whisk and incorporate all of your cold cubed butter, one cube at a time, while whisking constantly over a medium heat. When you’re nearly ready to serve, whisk in the chopped herbs.

Toss your crunchy spuds through the white wine reduction just before serving – don’t do it too early, otherwise they’ll go full sog! Still delish, just not quite what we’re after.

For some more glorious roast recipes and loads more, have a look at my NEW POTATO BOOK!  Also, I have a Youtube Channel these days with some more fun ideas for your next potato based meal, go check it out for me babs x