Ivy House roast potatoes

1 . Stage

Peel potatoes and cut into even-size pieces (Ivy House used Marfona and allowed 4 pieces per person).

2 . Stage

Put potatoes in boiling salted water. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.

3 . Stage

Meanwhile, melt lard in a thick roasting pan in the oven at 220C/fan 200/gas 7. (Ivy House tried both goose fat and butcher’s beef dripping, but found neither as successful as good old lard.)

4 . Stage

Drain the potatoes and put back in the saucepan with a couple of tbsp of semolina. Cover the pan and shake it to rough up the potatoes.

5 . Stage

Remove the baking tray from the oven and put the potatoes in the lard, turning to coat each one in the melted lard.

6 . Stage

Return the tray to the oven and roast for 40 mins, turning the potatoes 2-3 times as necessary.

7 . Stage

Remove tray from the oven and put the potatoes in a serving dish. Return the dish of potatoes to the hot oven for 10 mins to dry any fat off. Serve straight away – roast potatoes wait for no man!