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!