29 Jan 2021
Head Chef at The Barn at Moor Hall, Nathan Cornwell, shares his three easy tips for ensuring your stay-at-home Sunday Roast is spectacular…
THE MAIN EVENT
Choosing the right beef (or any meat) is key. Preferably you want it to be dry and aged, not vacuum packed. Lake District Farmers are delivering nationwide at the moment and do specific roasting joints (find out more here). All their meat has a great provenance and has been aged and kept correctly. In regards to cooking beef, it’s important to season really well before cooking and once it has got to your desired cooking temperature, rest it really well too. Rest it for the equivalent of half the amount of the cooking time as a guide.
PERFECT ROAST POTATOEs
Choose a decent chipping potato such as a Maris Piper or a King Edward. In general, you want to simmer for 6 or 7 minutes in salted water, then give them a really good chuffing! This will ensure they are fluffy the whole way around and you can simply shake in a colander for the desired result. Once they are dry, place into a pre-heated tray with duck fat. Make sure the fat is hot so they don’t absorb any of the oil and turn every 20 minutes. For the last 20 minutes, add crushed garlic and some rosemary sprigs. Once completely golden and crisp, remove from the fat so they remain crispy and don’t absorb any grease.
side dishes
You can’t beat a good cauliflower cheese. Top tips: a smoked cheese in the sauce can really elevate the taste, and make sure the cauliflower is really dry after par-cooking before adding the sauce.
At this time of year Purple Sprouting Broccoli is coming back in season too, so steamed or roasted this can be a great addition.