AS A meal, the Sunday roast offers endless variation and has become an institution in its own right.
Think of the caramelised ends of a large rib of beef; the herby, buttery scent of a well stuffed chicken; melting onions roasted under the joint and infused with all those meaty juices, and fluffy duck fat-roasted potatoes.
But the eating is only the half of it. For many adults, myself included, it conjures up warm memories of being at home and tucking into a delicious roast dinner every Sunday.
Do the bulk of your preparation the night before. Peel and chop all the vegetables and store them in pans of cold water.
One trick is to choose a vegetable that doesn’t take hours to cook, such as asparagus, mangetout or green beans. Cook them in boiling salted water.
If you are serving root vegetables, or anything grown below the ground, always start them off in cold water and bring them slowly up to the boil.
Consider what vegetables are in season. For example, in summer, you might choose Jersey Royal potatoes, but during the winter months, King Edwards are perfect whether it’s for mashing or roasting. And remember that supermarket vegetables are grown for their visual appeal and can be a bit tasteless.
Vegetables are better if they haven’t gone through a processing plant to get to a shop. They are usually best bought from a stall on the side of the road, a farmers’ market or straight from the farm. And you are supporting the local supplier by doing this – which is certainly something we like to do where possible in our kitchen at Carmelite.
I have created a signature Sunday roast this winter for guests. One of the specialities of my roasts is ensuring that local produce is used wherever possible. The beef comes from Aberdeenshire Beef Company in Kintore, the pork from Rhinds in Elgin and lamb from the Shetland Lamb Company.
My top tips for getting the Sunday roast just right are:
Put a teaspoon of honey over roasting parsnips halfway through – this will give them a delicious and crispy flavour.
When you are cooking your roast, try putting chopped vegetables under the meat to stop it sticking to the roasting tin. Add a glass of wine and a glass of water and you get a delicious gravy, too.
For the perfect Yorkshire puds, make sure the oil is piping hot, but not smoking, before you add the mixture – this will result in well risen and fluffy puds.
Once cooked, let the meat rest – this will ensure that it stays moist and tender for carving.
Wash up as you go along – it will save lots of time in the kitchen later.
For the perfect Sunday roast without the washing-up, Carmelite is serving a two-course Sunday roast for £12.50 all day every Sunday. To book a table, call 01224 589101.
Serves 6-8
1 rib of Scottish beef – about 3kg
3 tblspn oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 white onions, skinned and cut into quarters
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 leek, washed and cut into chunks
1 bulb garlic, cut in half
1 sprig rosemary and thyme
Remove the beef from the fridge about 1 hour before cooking and allow it to reach room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas Mark 4.
Season the meat all over. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin and seal the meat evenly all over until browned. Remove the beef from the roasting tin, add the chopped vegetables, garlic and herbs, then top with the meat.
Roast the beef for 2 hours, basting every 20 minutes, or until the meat thermometer reads 60C (rare). Cook for longer if you prefer medium to well done (70-80C). Remove the beef from the roasting tin to the chopping board and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
1 glass red wine
75g (2.7 oz) plain flour
1 litre hot beef stock
1 tblspn redcurrant jelly
Put the roasting tin over the heat on the stove and add the red wine and jelly. Allow to reduce by up to half.
Use a spoon to remove all the vegetables from the bottom of the tin, then add the flour and reduce the heat. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add one-third of the stock and bring to a gentle boil, mixing all the time. Add the rest of the stock and reduce to the consistency of your choice. Strain and add seasoning.
Serves 6-8
1 cup plain flour
1 cup eggs
1 cup milk
6 tblspn vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6. Place one tablespoon of vegetable oil into each of six pudding tins and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until hot but not smoking. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and whisk for 10 minutes with an electric whisk.
Remove the tins from the oven and turn the heat to 180C/355F/Gas Mark 4. Ladle the batter into the tins until it almost reaches the top.
Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until well risen, crispy and golden. When ready, remove from the tins and serve.
10 large King Edward potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
150g (5.3 oz) duck or goose fat
Sea salt
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6. Place the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water.
Season with salt and bring to the boil, turn down to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked. Drain into a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes.
Put the fat into a large roasting tin and heat in the oven until very hot, but not smoking. Add the potatoes and mix evenly with the fat and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, turning every 10 minutes.
Remove from the roasting tin using a slotted spoon so that all excess fat is removed.
Serve them sprinkled with sea salt.