Food is the best way to bring friends and family members together and what better meal to share than a roast dinner on a weekend evening. There are many ways to do this classic, from beef to nut roasts, boiled potatoes to mashed yams. Rumor is that the Brits are the best at cooking up a roast dinner, so we look at our friends across the pond to present the perfect recipes to follow.
The Roast
Chicken is a favorite and reliable choice that everyone likes. Just make sure that it’s moist, tender and tasty! Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper then stuff it with half a lemon and a bunch of thyme. Smother it with butter and leave in a 190C fan oven for around an hour and a half, checking it after an hour to make sure that it’s not drying out. Pierce it with a skewer and ensure that it comes out clear to check that the chicken is properly cooked. At the end, mix the juices with chicken stock and some flour to make scrumptious gravy.
The Vegetables
You’ll want your roast vegetables to be crisp on the outside and nice and mushy on the inside. For best results, cook them in the same tray as the chicken so that they soak up those tasty juices. Carrots are always popular, especially if you coat them with some honey first. Parsnips also work well with this method. You might also want to boil some peas and/or broccoli just before serving and cover them with a dollop of butter.
The Potatoes
For a fully authentic roast dinner, it’s best to roast the potatoes too. Boil them for around fifteen minutes before hand and put them in the chicken and vegetable tray for around an hour. Alternatively, lots of people enjoy mash, which you can add ingredients like chives, vanilla or leeks to for extra yum factor. One thing’s for sure with mash — butter and milk or cream are mandatory.
With a meal like this, everyone sat around the table with be digging in to the perfect roast dinner (if you want more tips you can try Tesco). A traditionally very British dessert to serve afterwards is a fruity pie, so get baking the night before or buy one in (no one will know!).
Images by Shoshannah and emmadiscover
