Apparently somebody wanted to know how I make my roast potatoes. The trick is in the parboiling.
Use starchy (as opposed to waxy) potatoes, and make sure they aren't too old.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces an inch or two in diameter (bear in mind that they will shrink a bit in the cooking process, so make more than you think you'll need).
Put them into a saucepan for which you have the lid, sprinkle on some salt and put water in the pan until the potatoes are just covered. Heat until the water is boiling and let it continue to boil for a couple of minutes, until the tip of a sharp knife easily penetrates the potato to a depth of a few millimeters.
Now here's where the lid becomes important. Pour out the hot water and put the lid on. While wearing oven gloves, hold the pan (and the lid, so it doesn't come off) and shake vigorously for 20 seconds or so, to rough up the surfaces of the potatoes.
Heat some sort of oil or fat in a shallow metal tray in the oven for a few minutes. Goose fat is the best if you have it. Put the potatoes in the hot oil and turn them so that they are completely covered in oil. Sprinkle with a bit more salt, and then roast in an oven for about an hour at 375F (give or take - you can cook them hotter or colder if you have the oven at a different temperature for cooking something else at the same time, just adjust the time appropriately). About half way through take the potatoes out, turn each of them upside down (don't try to cheat and turn the whole tray upside down at once - they'll fall out). Then put them back in to finish cooking.
Serve hot, and with meat (to people who eat meat).
Yum.