not exactly moneysaving or old style but you lot talk about it...

larmy16

Just to add my method of roasting potatos. Boil for 10 minutes, drainand set aside few minutes, then to original saucepan add 1tbsp oil (Im watching my weight!), return pots to the pan and bash them about in the oil. Of course you can add as much oil as you like, but it saves having to use a ton of it in a roasting pan.

They come out lovely and crispy but not too greasy. Approx 40 minutes.

We no longer eat meat, but I remember when I did, putting them into the same roasting dish as the meat.

competitionscafe

I usually use Nigel Slater's roast chicken recipe, which is basically a slightly simpler version of the Simon Hopkinson one.

Put some tarragon in the cavity
rub the chicken skin all over with softened butter mixed with chopped tarragon and crushed garlic
season chicken all over with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
squeeze half a lemon over the chicken, put the squeezed lemon half inside the cavity too.
Roast at 200C (180C fan oven) for 20 minutes per pound plus half an hour
When done take the chicken out to rest (cover in foil) for 15 minutes and make a gravy with the juices - add a glass of white wine/Vermouth to the roasting pan and reduce it over the hob, then strain through a sieve. Delicious!

bashing the par boiled spuds in the pan works a treat too - then add them to the chicken roasting pan for the last hour of cooking.

Smiley_Mum

This is how I do my potatoes for roast chicken.

Parboil the potatoes, then drain well and then give them a good shaking in the pan with a splash of olive oil until they are roughed up a bit. Then put them in a tub with a mix of lemon juice and chopped up rosemary,give them a good shaking and then put them in a large roasting tin on their own that's got smoking hot oil in it and then cook them up with the chicken until crispy and brown. Have to judge it depending on how much spuds etc but they always turn out good. Best potatoes for roasting are supposedly desiree.

When roasting chicken, leave it 10 minutes to rest after you take out of the oven. Also about fifteen minutes before taking it out of the oven, turn it upsides down so the juices run through the chicken and leave it nice and juicy. Then turn it back and ten minutes to rest, then carve it.

I shove about a dozen cloves of garlic inside the chicken. I smear the top of the chicken all over with butter, bit salt and pepper and then lay some streaky bacon over the top while it's cooking. Was on Delia online site.

http://www.deliaonline.com/cookeryschool/howto/how_0000000037.asp

Also with mashed spuds I put in some salted butter, a splash of single cream and a little milk, some salt and a bit of freshly milled pepper. Lovely.

Gordon Ramsay has some tips here for roasts also.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4382-1638148_1,00.html

Make sure your meat is at room temperature before cooking, as is the case with most ingredients.

Did have a recipe for lamb chops that were marinaded overnight in lime juice, crushed coriander and mint but can't find the recipe anywhere, was by Jamie Oliver. Not a Sunday roast I know but very good all the same.

Good luck with the Sunday dinner!!

competitionscafe

Smiley_Mum wrote:

Also about fifteen minutes before taking it out of the oven, turn it upsides down so the juices run through the chicken and leave it nice and juicy. Then turn it back

That's a good idea - should keep the top (breasts) nice and juicy as they can dry out a little - as you say bacon will help too. Will try the upside down chicken tip next time I do a roast - thanks.

scheming_gypsy

looks like it could be a success whichever one i follow. !!!!!! hope so !!!
i'm going to let them decide which meat they want before the weekend just to make sure i get it spot on

scheming_gypsy

if they go for beef does anybody have any tips for the perfect Yorkshire pudding?

Smiley_Mum

Recipe here by Gordon Ramsay, should be fine.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4382-1638148_3,00.html

Add the milk gradually or you'll end up with a lumpy mess.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
Leave to stand like it states in recipe.

Or this one as a last resort...

http://www.sydes.net/jokes/page.php?p1=Honest%20Advert%20%2332&p2=honest_advert032.jpg

ben500

Some ecellent ideas there I'd like to add a few myself.

If you are buying your meat from a butchers which I hope you do rather than a supermarket in which case you will be broiling rather than roasting or frying due to the copious amounts of added water, I would suggest if its beef you go for a roast sirloin ask your butcher for a length of sirloin and allow app 2" per person plus an extra 2" at each end roast slowly adding any seasoning with a cover for first half hour then remove the cover for the remainder of the cooking the lower the heat and as long as possible for the most tender of roasts, a small dish of water in the bottom of the oven can help to ensure the joint does not lose all its juices,

for a desert I would recommend a fruit salad with a little difference

Take 1/4 pint of water and add three teaspoons of sugar two chillies a quarter teaspoon ground or 1" stick cinnamon, bring to the boil and simmer to reduce to half its original content, strain and pour over a selection of freshly cut fruit, I usually use kiwi, banana, pineapple, papaya, mango once you have poured the syrup over the fruit cover and put in the fridge if you use a tuppaware type container you can return every fifteen mins or so to give the mixture a little shake to ensure all fruit is lightly coated and penetrated by the syrup, serve with a little vanilla icecream and squeeze some fresh passion fruit over it looks amazing and I have never had a bad reaction from anyone tasting this for the first time. If you want to go for a bigger reaction have a second batch made up with more chilli because that will probably be pounced upon once the first batch has been tasted have some fresh cream handy for the wimps a quick teaspoonfull will abate any reaction the chilli has on the sensitive palate.

ben500

Of course if you insist on purchasing your meat from a supermarket at least visit the misprice thread and get your choice of Gammon, Chicken Fillet, Steak, Rolled Brisket, Rib Joint, or cornfed chicken free!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=82158

Tesco have a refund and replace policy if you are overcharged for those that don't know, so Sunday roast is free if want to take advantage of it.

competitionscafe

If you go for Beef I can highly recommend the Beef from Higher Hacknell Farm - you may need to order by tommorrow (Monday) to get it before next weekend. Their beef is really, really good + it's organic from grass fed cattle (South Devons) and hung for at least 21 days. The Beef taster box (£22.50) includes a roasting joint (as well as 2 casserole steaks and 2 packs of mince for your freezer) or you can order an individual joint by weight (eg: fore rib on the bone)
[I prefer roasting beef, lamb or pork on the bone as I think it gives more flavour]. Phone or email them if you need any advice.

http://www.higherhacknell.co.uk/