Roast

I make no apologies for the subject of this blog - the Great British Roast, but for singles or couples! Folk often say to me that they can't be bothered to cook a full roast for a small amount of people, or just one, but maybe my simple guide will convince a few folk with just over an hour to spare on a leisurely weekend that it is worth doing. It's just a case of knowing when to do things to get it all to come together perfectly. If you can get a piece of meat of about 750g - 1kg, say half a leg or shoulder of lamb (perfect for 1 or 2), piece of beef or a small chicken I find it very satisfying to do the Full Monty of British dinners just for me and have some tasty leftovers for the week........and the cat.

Ok, so this is not so much a recipe, and doesn't give amounts as I'm sure you can get these elsewhere, but is a timing guide of how to do it fairly easily. I tend to work on the principle that most pieces of meat or a chicken cook in about 20 minutes per 500g, plus an extra 20 minutes, that's if you like your red meat fairly pink, add an extra 5 or 10 minutes to each of these timings if you like it just pink or well done. So for a 750g piece of lamb (my fave!) it would be 20+10(500g + 250g)+20=50 minutes cooking time. A chicken will be a bit longer, but that just gives you a bit of a break to have a glass of wine, or go play on the 'puter! I also make no apologies for the fact that an old-fangled gas oven, with none of your fans or gadgets is undoubtedly the best thing to do it in, because of the temperature differences between the top and bottom - you can roast your spuds to a perfect crisp up top and keep your meat lower down, after its initial blast at a high temperature. Those with a fan will probably do best to turn the oven down to 190c.

I will cover roast chicken and the things you might add to it in another blog, but to cover the basics now, a small chicken of about 1.25 kg (about 1hr 10mins cooking time), or if you like your meat well done, just put the meat on about 20 minutes earlier at the high temperature and turn the heat down when you start doing everything else. The approximate timings for a 750g piece of meat go;

0 mins - heat up the oven to a high heat, 220-230c. Place the meat in a roasting tin, not too big as the juices will burn and not too small or your meat will end up swimming. Season it with salt and pepper and any herbs or garlic that you fancy. Peel your spuds, floury ones will be best, cut into halves or quarters for roasting.
10 mins - Put the meat in the oven (on a high shelf). Put your spuds on to boil in some salted water, bring them up to the boil and simmer for about 8 minutes, until they are going soft around the outside. Peel your parsnips if you're having them and cut them.
20 mins - Put some oil (sunflower is good) in a roasting tin and pop it in the oven to get hot. When the potatoes are done drain them and give them a bit of a shake, then put them and the parsnips into the hot oil in the roasting tin and make sure they are coated in oil then pop them into the oven.
30 mins - Lower the oven temperature to 200c and put the meat onto a shelf low down in the oven, then put your potatoes on the higher shelf. Prepare your other vegetables - can't go far wrong with carrots and broccoli.
40 mins - not much going on, but you'll probably need to turn the potatoes and parsnips somewhere here.
50 mins - put the carrots on to steam (preferable) or boil. Put a plate somewhere to warm for the meat to rest
1 hour - check that the meat is cooked to your liking, or if you have chicken check that the juices are clear when you pierce it through the thigh. If it is put it on the warmed plate and place it somewhere warm or cover it with foil. Put your broccoli on to cook. Put the roasting tin back on the hob and add a splash of wine - or some stock. Scrape up all the roasting juices and bring to the boil, add any flavourings that you fancy - redcurrent jelly and a rosemary sprig for lamb, thyme for chicken, beef should probably be left alone. Check that the spuds and parsnips are getting nice and crispy, turn up the oven a bit if they're not quite done enough.
1hr 10 mins - Put some of the vegetable cooking water (my mum taught me this!) into the gravy if you've not yet added stock, check it for seasoning and add a bit of cornflour slaked in water to thicken if so desired. Carve the meat and serve it all up onto warmed plates.
1hr 15 mins or so - seated with glass of wine and enjoying your roast - see, easy!

I do, however, apologise for the lack of photos with this, but a roast should be plentiful and not neccessarily pretty.........and I wouldn't want you to know what a glutton I really am if I showed you what mine looked like tonight! As to those leftovers........ that's a whole subject itself that I'm sure I'll cover one day, but great sandwiches are a good place to start!