Sunday Roast polite discussion thread.

[Magnus McGinty]

The addition of onion in the dish is most welcome. Not a traditional vegetable for a roast but who cares about cauliflower?
Lack of sauce is an issue though. Especially if heavily laden with potatoes. Like a desert experience.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

The problem with roast dinners is that gravy and parsnips are evil, and potatoes are overrated.

I like potatoes like a normal human being, but parsnips can go fuck themselves and gravy just isn't edible under any circumstances.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

The addition of onion in the dish is most welcome. Not a traditional vegetable for a roast

isn't it?

mum-tat usually bungs an onion in to roast among the spuds

 

[Magnus McGinty]

We used to dip bread as children in the beef dripping from the roast back in the day before it went into the gravy. I preferred that to the actual dinner.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

isn't it?

mum-tat usually bungs an onion in to roast among the spuds

By 'traditional' I guess I mean carveries. I'd rather they were there and have seen them on some plates.

 

[Epona]

A fair number of people also put onion in the roasting dish under the joint to flavour the juices that come out and improve the gravy made from them - also sometimes celery and carrots - like a roasted stock with the meat juices.

So I wouldn't say onion is necessarily unusual - just that it more than likely ends up with the meat juices in the gravy to flavour it and is then sieved out.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

A fair number of people also put onion in the roasting dish under the joint to flavour the juices that come out and improve the gravy made from them - also sometimes celery and carrots.

So I wouldn't say onion is necessarily unusual - just that it more than likely ends up with the meat juices in the gravy to flavour it and is then sieved out.

Unusual for me then. Bring it on though.

 

[Elpenor]

It’s a shallot!

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Same thing.

 

[High Voltage]

... mum-tat usually bungs an onion in to roast among the spuds

To catch out the unwary? Or to give, on purpose, to the least favoured child. The Sunday roast equivalent of the Christmas lump of coal in the stocking

 

[Ming]

Today we are having roast lamb stuffed with garlic and rosemary.

Looks great! If you've a shoulder of lamb try stabbing the meat a few times and putting first a piece anchovy, then a small piece of garlic (or garlic paste) in the incision and capping it with rosemary. The anchovy gives it a great salty crust (doesn't taste fishy).

 

[Mr.Bishie]

You'd at least have a sauce even if you don't like gravy.

Aye, cos as it is, it’s as dry as an auld boot…& the venison is over cooked too. Needs some moisture on it to get in down ya throat!

 

[Epona]

Aye, cos as it is, it’s as dry as an auld boot…& the venison is over cooked too. Needs some moisture on it to get in down ya throat!

Yeah venison is usually way too lean to make gravy from, this is where you rummage in the freezer and find some stock that you made and froze and use that to make gravy, or break out a stock cube.

If you wanted to do it perfectly, veal stock (it is a thing in France) would be best but I doubt any of us have that lurking in the freezer or dried and cubed in the cupboard. Beef or chicken stock (or a half and half mix might work better) would work ok.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Absolutely Epona - total laziness by Elpenor tbh.

 

[Elpenor]

Aye, cos as it is, it’s as dry as an auld boot…& the venison is over cooked too. Needs some moisture on it to get in down ya throat!

I did warn you all I wasn’t a good cook!

My first (and last) attempt at making a roast I think. Too many things to keep on top of and evidently following the instructions didn't help much. I’ll stick to stuff I can cook in one pan

 

[Epona]

I did warn you all I wasn’t a good cook!

My first (and last) attempt at making a roast I think. Too many things to keep on top of and evidently following the instructions didn't help much. I’ll stick to stuff I can cook in one pan

It looked fine, just timings and making provision for gravy with a lean piece of meat - please don't be discouraged!

There are pot roasts that you can do all in one dish if you would prefer that method.

I personally find the "get multiple dishes to completion at x time" to be a living hell in terms of cooking, but roast meat is fairly forgiving of this - if you are roasting a bird or a joint, it should rest for a while anyway which lets the fibres in the meat relax, just take it out of the oven, cover it in foil and leave it for a bit (honestly up to an hour under foil is fine) while you do the rest of the stuff - I do this even with small/medium chickens and it is fine.

 

[MrCurry]

The addition of onion in the dish is most welcome. Not a traditional vegetable for a roast

that’s news to me. Roast onion is a permanent feature of my roasts and those I’ve been brought up with.

 

[Epona]

that’s news to me. Roast onion is a permanent feature of my roasts and those I’ve been brought up with.

Although it's often used as a component in gravy, I would say it is an uncommon ingredient to be served up as part of the veg component of a roast.

I reckon a lot of these things are regional though.

 

[8ball]

Roast onions are good though.
It wouldn't occur to me to put one in a roast, but I can see it working.

 

[Saffy]

We always have roast onions for 'special occasion roasts'. I love them. Especially when you cut into them and the middle squeezes out.

 

[existentialist]

We always have roast onions for 'special occasion roasts'. I love them. Especially when you cut into them and the middle squeezes out.

A whole bulb of garlic, cut horizontally, and roasted, is also a thing of loveliness.

 

[jontz01]

I got into roast shallots this year as they were 19p a bag. I can see onions being similar. Very tasty addition.

 

[clicker]

I always throw a couple of chopped up red onions in the roasting tin.

 

[Epona]

I always throw a couple of chopped up red onions in the roasting tin.

Roasted red onions are amazing, I'd not thought of having them as part of a Sunday roast other than as part of the gravy - I usually do roast red onions, peppers, garlic and sometimes courgette to use in a pasta sauce which is lush.

 

[Edie]

Cavolo nero. I’ve bought some. Never had it before. Looks a bit green and challenging. Says to cut into strips and boil for 6 minutes. Any advances on that?!!

 

[The39thStep]

Cavolo nero. I’ve bought some. Never had it before. Looks a bit green and challenging. Says to cut into strips and boil for 6 minutes. Any advances on that?!!

It's delicious. You can cut the stem out, slice it thinly, boil or steam it, add black pepper and butter/olive oil. Very versatile you can use it in all sorts of dishes. Other greens to try are turnip tops, brussel sprout tops and rapini/ broccoli raab

 

[Edie]

It's delicious. You can cut the stem out, slice it thinly, boil or steam it, add black pepper and butter/olive oil. Very versatile you can use it in all sorts of dishes. Other greens to try are turnip tops, brussel sprout tops and rapini/ broccoli raab

Yeah we seem to be stuck on broccoli, beans and peas so thought I’d branch out! I’ve got a lemon inside the chicken, shall I do it in olive oil and garlic and squeeze some lemon over do you think?

 

[The39thStep]

Yeah we seem to be stuck on broccoli, beans and peas so thought I’d branch out! I’ve got a lemon inside the chicken, shall I do it in olive oil and garlic and squeeze some lemon over do you think?

Why not ? Could do half a portion with lemon, half a portion with lemon and compare?

 

[The39thStep]

If you haven't try purple sprouting or white sprouting broccoli . Braised red cabbage is also worth a shot .

 

[Edie]

If you haven't try purple sprouting or white sprouting broccoli . Braised red cabbage is also worth a shot .

I’ve had it out and it’s nice (purple sprouting and red cabbage, not the white).