Roast Potatoes

Potatoes can be one of the best parts of the meal or one of the most boring. Perfect crispy roast potatoes are wonderful but particularly difficult to achieve if you only have one oven in which you are cooking the turkey at length at a low heat. However, with a little forethought, it is possible. The day before, peel your potatoes, cut them up into smaller pieces than you normally would and boil them until completely cooked.

Before you begin to roast the turkey turn the oven to Gas Mark 9/475°F/240°C. Melt lots of good dripping in a large roasting pan so that it is about 1 in.(2 cm) deep. When the fat is smoking put in the boiled potatoes and spoon the fat all over them. Put them right at the top of the oven for 20-30 minutes until they are beginning to brown and crisp. Now turn the oven down to Gas Mark 3/325°F/160°C ready for the turkey.