Navigating a Roast Dinner

Making a roast dinner can feel daunting, especially if you usually stick to a favorite dish like Cher’s delicious Veggie Lasagne. But it doesn’t have to be stressful! Just like with skincare and makeup, preparation is key for a smooth cooking process. There are so many amazing roast dinner recipes and tips out there. Most ingredients cook at the same temperature and time, so prepping everything in advance makes it easier to pop them in the oven when ready.

I use a timer app on my phone to keep track – for instance, I’ll set it for 1 hour 20 minutes when the chicken goes in. Then, I’ll add dishes like cauliflower cheese when there’s 30 minutes left. This simple trick makes everything run smoothly and helps ensure a delicious meal!

I always begin by washing, cutting, and placing all the veggies in roasting trays before cooking. Whether you prefer meat or nut roast, there are fantastic recipes online! In this blog, I’ll guide you through an easy roast chicken recipe!

Roast Chicken

Pre-heat the oven to around 200 C and for a medium chicken this will cook in about 1 hour 20 mins. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin, then I stuff some garlic and a roughly chopped red onion into the cavity. Rub the outside of the chicken with butter and season all over with salt, pepper and any other herbs you fancy (this could be dried rosemary & thyme). Pop into the oven for about 2o mins, then turn the oven down to about 170 C and cook for a remaining 45 minutes to an hour. Usually during this time I will baste the chicken a couple of times.

Roast Potatoes

Prepare your potatoes cutting into similar sizes, (Maris Piper are the best for roasties) then put them into cold water and bring them to the boil, whilst your oven is heating up, then place your desired oil (vegetable oil is usually the best option here, or for a special occasion you might want to use goose or duck fat. The heating of the oil stage is important if you love a crunchy potato, so make sure the tray in a 200 C oven for about 10 minutes before adding the potatoes.

After around 15 minutes after bringing the water to boil that you’ll want to check them and if the potato falls off the knife, they’re ready! You can then drain, shake in the colander to fluff up the edges (the best way to create those extra crunchy bits) and I always sprinkle over some flour to coat each potato. Carefully place the potatoes in the hot fat and make sure they’re all covered. I would then wait for about 20 minutes before turning them all, coating them again with the oil and then after another 30 minutes, repeat! For extra flavour, in the last 20 minutes of cooking, I add a couple of crushed cloves of garlic, some red onion and fresh rosemary.

Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips

This is my favourite side of sweet and herby root vegatables! For ease, I usually cook these two together, I wash and cut into quarters, lenghtways and place in a roasting tray drizzled with oil, salt, pepper and some honey for that iconic flavour and toss together to coat evenly. These can then be put straight into the oven for about 40 minutes and turned half way, until the veg is tender and beautifully caramelised.

Cauliflower Cheese

Wash the cauliflower and place in a large saucepan, then bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes until it’s just almost tender. Tip into a colander and leave to drain. To make the sauce here is a recipe that always works a treat!

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
40g / 1½oz butter
40g / 1½oz plain flour
400ml / 14fl oz milk
100g / 3½oz grated mature cheddar
salt and black pepper

Melt the butter into a saucepan the stir in the flour. Cook over a low heat for 1 minute then gradually add the milk, stirring gently. Turn the temperate up a little and slowly bring to the boil, all whilst constantly whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper (also a tsp of English Mustard is lovely) them take off the heat and stir in two thirds of the cheese.

Pour the cauliflower in to sauce and make sure the beg is completely covered. Put this all into a ovenproof baking dish and scatter the remaining cheese over the top, ready to oven cook for about 30 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden brown.

Sweet Red Cabbage

This side is always a hit and the perfect accompaniment to a roast dinner. It’s so easy to pop in a pan and simmer away whilst the rest of your food is cooking!

1 small red cabbage
118 ml / 1|2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp / 55g brown sugar
4 tbsp / 54 butter
salt & pepper to season

Start by thinly slicing the cabbage making sure to remove the inner core and outer leaves. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, add the cabbage and coat with the butter, cooking for around 5 minutes until the cabbage softens. Sprinkle over the sugar and mix until fully coated, then add the balsamic vinegar and simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and summer until the cabbage is throughly cooked, stirring often and usually for about 30 to 45 minutes. Once you’re happy with the softness, season to taste!

Little tips for the best roast

⭐ If you’re hosting for more people than usual, especially around Christmas, take the pressure off and prep your vegetables ahead of time. You could peel and chop the potatoes, leaving them overnight in a saucepan of water in the fridge. Slice your veggies and also store in the fridge in air tight containers. This means you can spend more time with your friends and family, and everything is ready to just go in the oven when the time is right.

⭐ Bring the meat to room temperature before putting it into a preheated oven, this will guarantee an even cook.

⭐ Choose the perfect condiment to accompany the meat. Bread Sauce for Chicken, Cranberry Sauce for Turkey, Mint Sauce for Lamb, Horseradish Sauce or English mustard with Beef, Apple Sauce for Pork – But really, choose whatever makes you happy!

⭐ Maris Piper potatoes make for the best roasties, they’re floury enough to give the best fluffy middle, but they also crisp up perfectly!

⭐ Covering the parboiled potatoes with a couple of tbsps of flour absorbs the moisture and allows them to really crisp up in the oil.

⭐ Make the cauliflower cheese the day before (if this suits). After mixing the cheese sauce with the parboiled cauliflower, store in the fridge covered up. Then just simply pop in the oven when you’re ready.

⭐ Timing! I love this little bit of advice from Nigella Lawson on giving up on the idea of having everything hot and ready at the same time. ‘If the gravy is hot and the plates are warmed, everything else can be hovering around room temperature’. Everything will be more or less ready at the same time so just relax, enjoy the process and you’ll be enjoying your beautiful home cooked food soon!