How do you make YOUR roast dinner?

SideWinder

SideWinder

SideWinder

Consigliere
Joined
12 Jun 2004
Posts
151,030
Location
SW17
I'm off to Sainsburys in a bit to make my first roast. Not doing anything special and will probably make it quite basic but just wondering if anyone had any tips/suggestions/ideas about roast dinners? How much do you make from scratch? Any particular way to make the roasties?

Go go go!
 
My wife says, “do you fancy a roast dinner on….”, and I usually reply, "Yes please”.

Simples, dinner made. :D
 
Having contributed already with perfectly valid and appropriate advice, I'd just like to add that I turn my potatoes 3 times - the third time, I add any juice from the meat to the stuff in the pan already, really brings out the crisp. You'll have to practice how long to roast them depending on what size you like em, I personally cut mine quite small because they tend to crisp up better so I only roast them for about an hour. Also, you can roast many vegetables, which tastes much, much nicer than boiled - carrots, parsnip, leeks and so forth. Chop up a red onion to roast with them. Finally, if you've got a cauli, bring out the mustard - mustard on cauli is awesome, no matter what meat you've got.

And don't forget dessert. I recommend strudel.
 
Deadbeat said:
Just roast it :confused:

Seriously, it's the easiest meal in the world.
Click to expand...

Deadbeat said:
Having contributed already with perfectly valid and appropriate advice, I'd just like to add that I turn my potatoes 3 times - the third time, I add any juice from the meat to the stuff in the pan already, really brings out the crisp. You'll have to practice how long to roast them depending on what size you like em, I personally cut mine quite small because they tend to crisp up better so I only roast them for about an hour. Also, you can roast many vegetables, which tastes much, much nicer than boiled - carrots, parsnip, leeks and so forth. Chop up a red onion to roast with them. Finally, if you've got a cauli, bring out the mustard - mustard on cauli is awesome, no matter what meat you've got.

And don't forget dessert. I recommend strudel.
Click to expand...

Much better. ;)
 
The most important thing for me is the potatoes you use. Different types change dramatically in terms of how well they roast depending on the season. I used to know which were best at what time of year but then i discovered Sainsbrys sell bags of potatoes for roasting, in which the variety changes depending on the season.

So basically, look for the bag that says potatoes ideal for roasting, to ensure you've got the right one somewhere on the back of the packaging it'll list several varieties of potatoes that 'could' be found in that bag (basically instead of specifically saying what type of potato it is, they just list what they put in depending on the season).

Goose fat or, if you want to be a bit healthier, ground nut oil is essential for making good roast potatoes. Veg oil is 'ok' but not brilliant and olive oil is a disaster.



To cook the beef i preheat my oven to 240C, i then heat a roasting tray on the hob up to the point that if i splash water on it it will 'bounce' on the surface.

Quickly fry the beef on all sides until you can't see any pinkness anymore, then chuck in the preheated oven for 20mins.

After 20 mins whack the heat down to 190C and cook for 30 mins per kilogram of meat.

At this point chop your potatoes (peel depending on preference) and stick in some cold salted water, put this on full heat until it's boiling. It's very much a matter of 'knowing' when they're done, but as a guideline if you leave the skin on the corners will begin to break away from the flesh without you touching them when they're ready, another way to tell if they're getting there is byt stabbing them with a sharp knife, when they start to fall off the knife under their own weight they're nearly done. Drain the potatoes and give them a bit of a shake to 'bruise' the outside, this helps them soak up the fat/oil.

Once the meat's done pull it out and loosely wrap in tin foil.

Now heat the oven back up to 200, put some of the oil/fat in a baking tray and put in the oven for 2/3mins until heated.

Get the heated tray out and stick your potatoes in and turn to make sure they have oil/fat all over them. Now put them in the oven.s

Every 10 mins or so take the potatoes out and quickly turn them to ensure they are still covered in fat/oil. If they've soaked nearly all of it up don't be afraid to add a little more, the key is to get them to soak up as much as possible without them getting soggy.

When the potatoes look like they're nearly done (beginning to crisp up and turn golden, roughly 40 mins) boil your chosen vegetables and use the fat from the beef and an oxo cube with some water (if you're lazy like me) to make a gravy. Also if you're lazy just get some aunt bessies yorkshire puds, they're pretty good and much easier than making your own.

Now carve the meat.

Serve, eat, enjoy.
 
Last edited:
Its all BS man just put it all in the roasting tin.

40mins for cut spuds no need to par boil
25-30mins parsnips and sweet potatoes carrots if you feeling saucy

it is the easiest cooking ever just plonk it in walk away.
 
After parboiling the potatoes drain them, put them back in the pan and give them a good shake to rough up their edges, and make sure your goose fat/oil is nice and hot before roasting the veg.
 
SideWinder said:
I'm off to Sainsburys in a bit to make my first roast. Not doing anything special and will probably make it quite basic but just wondering if anyone had any tips/suggestions/ideas about roast dinners? How much do you make from scratch? Any particular way to make the roasties?

Go go go!
Click to expand...

Roast leg of lamb with garlic, potatoes with rosemary, broccoli, sauted mushrooms and gravy.

Cut lots of deep cuts in the lamb (about 50) with a thin knife and put a little chunk of garlic in each. About 4 cloves worth of garlic.

Parboil the potatoes - about 7 minutes. Keep the water after. Then heat some olive oil in a large frying pan and add the leaves of rosemary. Add the potatoes for a minute-ish. Drain the oil, put the potatoes in a big saucepan and shake a few times to roughen the potatoes slighty. You can rub some salt in to the potatoes to make them go crispier.

Put the lamb in oven on a low temp (160c ish) for 25 mins per kilo plus 25 minutes. Add the potatoes. Turn the potatoes every 30 minutes.

Cook the veg near to when the roast will be done. Keep the water.
Take the roast dish out and drain off the juice from it and add to the other stock water in a large saucepan and put on a medium heat to reduce (evaporate off water).

Put lots of butter in a large frying pan and add sliced mushrooms until browned. Drain off the mushroomy butter and add to the other stock for the gravy.

Reduce the stock until it's a thick gravy, keeping the veg warm in the oven. It's quicker to reduce the gravy in lots of pans on multiple hobs.

Take out the lamb and leave to cool for around 10 minutes on a carving plate. Serve up veg and gravy.

Eat roast.

Profit?
 
jp_bl_68 said:
After parboiling the potatoes drain them, put them back in the pan and give them a good shake to rough up their edges,.
Click to expand...

+1 on this, might seem a bit more hassle but makes the best roast potatoes

turn and baste them in the oil 2 or 3 times while they are cooking - job done :)
 
Get some breadcrumb covered onion rings, seriously they're awesome. I don't know how people can eat them without gravy on them.
 
The key is the roast potatoes. I got into a bit a trouble by telling my mum the gf does better roast potatoes than her - you should have seen her face, never do this! - but it's true, she makes the best roasts known to man. Par boil the potatoes, drain them, put the lid on and whack them about. If you do it right you get a nice fluffyness to the outside of the tats that crisps up beautifully when roasted. Do it wrong and you get a pan full of mush. Now put these on a baking tray with hot oil and whack it in the oven, turning as you see fit. There's an art to it - how long you boil them for, how large the tats are, how hard you bash em etc - but when you get it right they crunch like crisps while being perfectly fluffy inside. I've had roasts at michelin star restaurants that have nothing on this!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom