Goose Fat Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

These roast potatoes are fluffy inside, crisp outside and full of flavour from goose fat, rosemary and garlic, with the Charlie adding a gentle smoky edge.

Ingredients

• 3 kg Maris Piper potatoes, washed, peeled and cut to your preferred size
• 1 bunch rosemary
• 2 bulbs garlic
• Rendered goose fat
• Salt

Charlie Oven setup

Use good quality lump charcoal such as Stag Charcoal. Place roughly half a football sized pile of charcoal on the fire grates. Never use briquettes. There is no need to wait for the charcoal to turn to embers.

Set the Charlie to between 190°C and 200°C or 374°F and 392°F. Use the lower rack so the potatoes sit close to the heat for roasting.

Method

1. Fill a large pan halfway with salted water and bring it to a simmer. Taste the water to make sure you can taste the salt.
2. Add the potatoes and bring the water back to the boil. Cook until the outside just starts to break down while the centres still hold their shape, about 16 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake them so the outside becomes bashed and fluffy. This will help them crisp up in the Charlie.
4. Place a roasting tin in the Charlie with enough goose fat to coat the potatoes and heat until the fat is hot.
5. Remove the roasting tin carefully and add the rosemary followed by the potatoes. Turn the potatoes so each piece is coated in the hot fat.
6. Return the tray to the lower rack of the Charlie and roast at 190°C to 200°C or 374°F to 392°F for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes roughly every 20 minutes so they brown evenly.
7. Slice the garlic bulbs through the equator and add the halves to the tray halfway through the cooking time so they soften without burning.
8. Once the potatoes are crisp and golden, lift them out of the fat and onto a warm serving dish. Season with a little extra salt if needed and serve straight away.

Why cook this in Charlie

The hot charcoal heat in the Charlie gets the goose fat properly hot, which gives you deep golden crusts and soft centres. The rosemary and garlic warm gently in the tray and perfume the whole batch. A hint of smoke from the charcoal makes these roast potatoes stand out from the usual oven version.