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Crispy baby gold roast potatoes and charred cabbage wedges

Verdict: The cabbage wedges sucked. The potatoes were good, but a lot of work compared with normal roasted or fried potatoes.

Sides for the juniper and gin chicken, sharing its oven · Source: the standard British roast potato method: parboil, rough up, hot fat

Potatoes

  • 1.5 lb baby gold potatoes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil or chicken fat
  • Salt for the water
  1. Halve the 1.5 lb potatoes and hold them in cold water.
  2. Heat the oven to 450°F with 3 tbsp oil or fat in a roasting tray inside.
  3. Boil the potatoes in well-salted water about 8 minutes, until the edges just soften. Drain, steam-dry for a minute, then shake hard in the colander to rough up the cut faces.
  4. Tip the potatoes into the hot oil and toss to coat; they should sizzle. Roast at 450°F on the rack just below the chicken for 40 to 45 minutes.
  5. When the chicken comes out, raise the oven to 475°F and move the tray to the top rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Total oven time is about 55 to 65 minutes.

Cabbage

  • 1 small green or savoy cabbage
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch wedges, leaving a little core on each so they hold together. Brush both sides with 2 tbsp olive oil. Hold the salt until roasting, or the wedges weep.
  2. Once the oven is at 475°F, season with salt and pepper and roast 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until the edges char and the centres are tender with a little bite.

Notes

  • Baby golds are waxier and smaller than the russets this method is built around, so they never get as crunchy as a floury potato.
  • Start checking the potatoes at 40 minutes. If they finish before the chicken, pull them and re-crisp for a few minutes at 475°F.