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Not very experienced cook I have mastered a normal roast where the meat is cooked about gas 6-7 for a couple of hours but I want to try a slow cooked pork roast (6 hours first hour on a high heat then gas 3).

The issue I have is that I only have 1 oven and will need to roast all my veg. Normal wisdom would tell me this needs to be at a higher heat, can I still get crunchy roast poatatoes at the lower heat, or will this need some clever timing with me starting the veg off as the meat finishes cooking and then turning the heat up as I let the meat rest?

Richard C
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2 Answers2

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Turning up the heat while the roast rests works wonderfully. When I do a roast turkey, I let it rest a full hour, which gives me lots of time (and oven space) to do the roasted vegetables entirely during that resting time.

When I do a smaller roast, that rests maybe 15 or 30 minutes, I put the potatoes in with it at a lower temperature, and get them cooked, then give them 15 minutes or so at a hotter temperature to get crispy and browned. It works great.

You don't need "clever timing". You give the potatoes 30-45 min at the lower temp, and 15 or so at the hot. Or if the meat is going to rest a long time, then just go with however long you cook potatoes at the hot temp.

Kate Gregory
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You can actually get beautifully crunchy roast potatoes in a slow cooker [I didn't believe it either until I tried it] so you can also get them in a low oven. You just need time.

To get this to work at lower temperatures, par-boiling becomes essential [I don't always if I've got the oven at the 'right' temperature. You need to par-boil to very nearly 'done' [maybe 10 mins], then be careful as you shake them to fluff them up.

First attempt, I'd give them two hours. You can always pull them early & put back for a quick refresh if that's too long. Next time you'll know for certain based on your particular oven & can adjust accordingly.

Tetsujin
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