St. Patrick's Day Countdown: Roasties
Written by Ciaran on Mar 10, 2026 | 0 Comments
We’re counting down the days to March 17th with an offer and a potato-stuffed recipe for you every day until St. Patrick's Day! Check back in with us each day to see what’s up next!
Beloved across the British Isles, roast potatoes, or roasties, are found in many celebratory Irish meals. Served alongside beef, ham, or turkey at Christmas, or spring lamb at Easter, they will most certainly play a role in many a St. Patrick’s Day dinner, too! They also happen to be one of Gemma’s favorite ways to eat potatoes!
Photo Credit: G. Butler
A recipe for the Big House
It seems Gemma is in fine company, too! In a 1762 inventory of Lord Viscount Doneraille’s city-center home on Kildare Street, Dublin, a tin potato roaster is listed among other items, such as pewter plates, a gravy dish, and a coffee pot. So roasties are a dish with a long and fine pedigree!
Kildare St., the city residence of Viscount Doneraille, remains one of the most prestigious streets in the capital. The National Museum, the National Library and Dáil Éireann all sit along its modest 400m length. And roasties are famously still served on Kildare Street, together with six other types of potato, in the members' dining room in Dáil Éireann.
Below is Gemma’s recipe for crispy, fluffy, salty roasties that would be welcome on any table. If I am being honest, roasties are one of my favorite parts of a big celebratory dinner too! We have them for dinner pretty much every Sunday when the weather is chilly (which is often from October to April!). But roasties lose none of their appeal for the repeated outings, and I still look forward to them at Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, or Easter! I will always find room for roasties!
Ingredients
- 5 kg of Peeled Potatoes - there are strong words over which variety is best. Gemma uses Maris Pipers but is equally happy with a rooster!
- Salt
- A generous pour of olive oil or whatever fat you fancy cooking with. Goose fat is traditional, but the olive oil is easier to find these days and gives a lighter, crispy finish that I prefer. Don't come for me, Traditionalists!
Method
- Heat the oven to 220 °C.
- Cut your peeled potatoes in half or into quarters, depending on their size. You want them small enough to have some nice fluffy bits on the inside, but not too big! I aim for three good-sized bites per piece when I am making them.
- Put the peeled potato pieces in a large pot, cover with water, add a little salt, and bring to a low boil.
- Cover the base of a large baking tray with olive oil or your preferred oil, then place it in the heated oven to warm.
- Cook the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your chunks. You want them to be a little soft on the outside, but not falling apart!
- Drain and leave them covered in the pot to fluff up and dry out. Give them a good shake in the pot to fluff them up even more - this is how they get crispy!
- Take the heated oil out of the oven and CAREFULLY add the fluffed-up potatoes to the tray. Take care as the oil can splash. Gemma was also at pains to tell me that every last bit of potato goes in, even the little scraps, as these become the coveted “crispy bits” that people fight over at dinner!
- Roast the potatoes (and the crispy bits) in the oven until golden brown, turning occasionally to ensure they are lovely and crispy on all sides. This usually takes 30 - 40 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, you can add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, or garlic cloves if you want to get a little fancy. When they are finished, take them out and sprinkle with salt to taste.
What's Next?
Check back in with us tomorrow for Day 11 of our St. Patrick's Day countdown, or open Door Number 10 of our 17 Days of celebratory offers!
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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