Food trends may come and go but good, old-fashioned meals, such as the home-cooked roast, will always be the king of my kitchen. It’s great to see the growing interest in home-cooked food and it’s hard to beat an old fashioned roast. They really are simple; you just throw everything in the oven and relax while dinner cooks itself. They are versatile, too, because you can roast almost anything. My favourite is the classic meat roast – whether it be pork, chicken, lamb or beef – but a whole fish, such as snapper or salmon, baked in the oven can also be delicious. Simple dishes can be the most impressive and a classic roast is hard to beat. I love the smell of it wafting through the house – it takes me back to my childhood.
By Luke Mangan www.lukemangan.com
Tips:
· When baking fish, use lots of fresh herbs, maybe toss in a can of tomatoes, lots of chopped onion, a splash of wine and you’re done. Just be careful not to overcook it.
· With meat such as pork, beef or lamb, always try to sear it on all sides in a hot pan before putting it in the oven to help lock the juices in.
· Another important tip is to rest it for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. This is vital so the meat relaxes and becomes tender and you’ll get a perfect roast every time. Simple!
Roast Chicken with Provencal Herbs
Serves 4-6
Stuffing
4 slices white bread, diced in 1cm cubes
1tbsp dried, fried onion (found in Asian grocers)
2tsp Luke’s Provencal Herb mix or equal measures of thyme, sage, parsley rosemary and chives
50mls of milk
1 egg
5ml (1tsp) lemon juice Salt and Pepper
1 whole fresh, free range chicken size (1.4-1.6)
Sea salt and cracked pepper
5g (1tsp) Luke’s Provencal Herb mix
45ml (3tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
215ml (1 cup) chicken stock
30ml (2tbsp) dry white wine or verjuice
12 chat potatoes 6 acorns or baby squash
12 peeled carrots
6 baby turnips
150g whole, peeled shallots or baby onions
8 garlic cloves, peeled
12 button mushrooms
1 bunch green asparagus
Preheat the oven to 215˚C (420˚F)
To make the stuffing, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Stuff the chicken cavity with the mixture.
Season the chicken with the salt, pepper and herb mix and place in on ovenproof baking tray, breast-side down. Drizzle the olive oil, chicken stock and dry white wine or verjuice around the tray and roast for 20 minutes.
Add the potatoes, squash, carrots turnips, shallots and baby onions and garlic around the chicken. Cover the tray with foil and return to the oven to roast for a further 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and turn chicken breast-side up. Add the mushrooms and asparagus, and then baste the chicken and vegetables and cook, uncovered for a further 20 minutes until the juices from the bird run clear.
Remove the baking tray from the oven. Transfer the roasted vegetables onto a platter. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and cover loosely in foil to keep warm, allowing the chicken to rest for a few minutes to ensure a juicy, evenly cooked bird.
