Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour 40 mins
For a tasty, authentic roast dinner, this traditional dish is unbeatable. Simple and yet mouth-wateringly delicious, this truly is a meal the whole family can enjoy.
Choose British chicken with the Red Tractor and Union Jack on pack and you’ll know that you’re getting fresh, local birds that are fully traceable back to independently-inspected British farms. Or ask your butcher if it’s British.
Ingredients
1 medium whole British chicken
6 rashers of streaky bacon
salt and pepper
40g butter
For the stuffing
4 large onions, finely chopped
10 sage leaves, chopped
125g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
50g butter, softened
salt and pepper
bunch of sage, for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F / gas mark 5.
Melt the butter and add the onions. Gently cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft. Allow to cool and add the sage, breadcrumbs and season. Add just enough egg to moisten the mixture and leave until ready to use. Tip: Use a pack of stuffing if time is short.
Stuff the chicken from the neck end, and pack about two-thirds of the stuffing inside. Close the skin over the stuffing and secure it with a cocktail stick or small skewer.
Shape the remaining stuffing into balls and place on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven with the chicken for the final 25 minutes.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin and spread with butter. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the bacon in a criss-cross pattern across the breast. Cover loosely with foil.
Roast in the centre of oven for 20 minutes per 500g plus 10-20 minutes extra, basting twice during cooking.
15 minutes before end of cooking time, remove the foil, remove the bacon, baste and increase the heat to 220ºC / 425°F / gas mark 7, to give the skin that final golden crispiness. When it is cooked, remove it from the oven and cover it with foil. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced. If not, cook further.
Garnish with a bunch of sage and serve with a selection of roasted vegetables.
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding with Horseradish Relish
Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Time to cook:
Rare: 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes
Medium: 25 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 25 minutes
Well done: 30 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 30 minutes
Oven temperature: Gas mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F
Take
2.7kg (6lb) lean rib of beef, boneless rib, or topside joint
15ml (1tbsp) English mustard powder
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 bulb garlic, cut in half widthways
For the best Yorkshire puddings:
175g (6oz) strong plain flour
Pinch salt
2 large eggs, beaten
5ml (1tsp) fresh thyme leaves
300-400ml (10-14floz) milk
30ml (2tbsp) sunflower oil or beef dripping
For the best gravy:
25g (1oz) plain flour
450ml (¾pint) good, hot beef stock, homemade, if preferred, or water
300ml (½pint) full bodied red wine
For the best horseradish relish:
90ml (6tbsp) horseradish sauce or 75ml (5tbsp) fresh horseradish root, peeled and grated
45-60ml (3-4tbsp) crème fraîche
15ml (1tbsp) wholegrain or Dijon mustard
Juice of ½ lemon
For the best roast potatoes:
1.8kg (4lb) floury potatoes, e.g. Desiree, Cara, or Maris Piper, peeled and cut in half
100ml (3½floz) sunflower or olive oil or 100g (4oz) beef dripping, goose or duck fat
Salt
Method:
Place the joint on a chopping board, score the skin, pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper and rub the mustard over the surface of the joint. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the joint on a metal rack in a large roasting tin, add the onion and garlic and open roast for the preferred calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any rich beefy juices. If the bottom of the pan seems a little dry, add a little extra beef stock or water.
1 hour before the end of the cooking time prepare the Yorkshire pudding. In a large bowl sift the flour and salt together. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and whisk in the eggs, thyme and enough milk to form a smooth, thick batter, about the consistency of double cream. Cover and leave the batter to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
To prepare the roast potatoes, heat a large roasting tin with the oil or dripping in the oven for 5 minutes. Par-boil the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and shake the saucepan, to give the potatoes a rough texture.
Remove the roasting tin from the oven and carefully add the potatoes. Toss gently, return to the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
When the beef is cooked transfer the beef to a platter and loosely cover with foil and keep warm. Retain the contents of the roasting tin for the gravy.
To cook the Yorkshire puddings: increase the oven temperature to Gas mark 7, 220°C, 425°F and add the oil or beef dripping evenly in a 12-hole muffin or Yorkshire pudding tin and preheat in the oven for 5 minutes.
Re-whisk the batter, just before using, adding any extra milk to return to the consistency of double cream and pour into a jug. Remove the hot tin from the oven and evenly pour the batter into each hole, return to the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Meanwhile, prepare the gravy, spoon off any excess oil from the tin, leaving about 30ml (2tbsp) of any rich, beefy juices. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stir well with a small whisk or spoon, add a little stock and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any sediment.
Add the remaining stock, wine and any meat juices from the platter, adjust the seasoning, if required and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until reduced to a well-flavoured gravy. Strain before serving.
To prepare the horseradish relish, mix all the ingredients together, spoon in to a serving bowl and serve as an accompaniment.
Minted Lamb Steaks
Preparation time less than 10 mins
Cooking time approximately 15 minutes
Take.
Lean lamb leg steaks
Fresh mint
Fresh rosemary
Garlic
Salt
Black peppercorns
Olive oil
Method:
Pound together (using a pestle and mortar or wooden spoon and bowl) 15ml(1tbsp) fresh mint, 15ml(1tbsp) fresh rosemary , 1 clove garlic and salt and black peppercorns. Add 15ml(1tbsp) olive oil and smear over 2 lean lamb leg steaks.
Place under a preheated grill for 8 -12 minutes turning once.
Serve the lamb steaks with mashed potato mixed with crumbled black pudding and stir-fried leeks.
Roast Pork Fillet on Mustard Mash
Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time less than 10 mins
Ingredients
For the pork:
2 tbsp olive oil
275g/9¾oz pork fillet
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the mash:
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1 splash full fat milk
1 knob unsalted butter
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof sauté pan.
Season the pork then fry for 4 minutes to seal all over.
Half fill a medium saucepan with water. Season with salt and bring to the boil.
Boil the potato for 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes.
Drain the potato then return it to the pan off the heat.
Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest.
Mash the potato with the milk and butter, then stir in the mustard.
Slice the pork on the diagonal and serve alongside the mash.