Name: Recipe of the Month: The Perfect Roast Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min

The Perfect Roast

Want to know how to cook a roast dinner? The British Sunday staple is a dish of many components but is something which can be easily tweaked and transformed into something much more special. Meat, greens, root veg, sides, gravy are just the beginning. Our recipe for the perfect roast dinner is tried and trusted and perfect for Christmas. Discover everything you’ll need below.

At a Glance

Servings:

4 People

Prep Time:

10 min

Cooking Time:

50 min

Tweak the Perfect Roast Dinner to Make Traditional Christmas Roast

Once you’ve nailed the basics and got the perfect roast dinner down to a tee – a few minor changes can transform this into a traditional Christmas roast worthy of St. Nick himself. Again, what makes the perfect Christmas roast dinner is subjective, however, here are a few Christmas roast ideas you can add to your basic roast recipe:

Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Brussel sprouts (love them or hate them!)
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce

If you are braving the Christmas dinner, check out our timings guide. Speak to five different people and they’ll give you five different answers on what makes up the perfect roast dinner, and we’re not here to ruin the fun! So, we’ve included plenty of potential sides and vegetables to give you the chance to decide which it warrant a place on your plate. (Yorkies, we’re looking at you).

What you'll need:

The Chicken (Vegetarians, skip this bit! Swap the chicken for a meat-free alternative)

1 medium chicken (or turkey)
3 cloves of garlic
1 sprig of parsley
Pinch of salt and black pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil

The Veg:

10 medium potatoes (for mashing and/or roasting)
1 broccoli
½ cabbage
2 handfuls green beans
4 carrots
4 parsnips
Brussel sprouts

The Sides:

4 Yorkshire puddings (all of the best roast recipes should include Yorkies!)
Stuffing
Gravy

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190°C, or 180°C for a fan oven. Start by rubbing your chicken with a little oil before seasoning with your herbs and spices. Spread evenly over the chicken and place in the oven. Work at an hour per kilo for cooking times.
Next, put your potatoes on to boil for around 10 minutes before draining. Once done, add to the roasting dish with the chicken for around 50 minutes – this will help to soak up all the flavour. For mashed potato, add butter and milk for a creamy touch before seasoning and mashing. Skin on or skin off, you decide.
To prepare your stuffing mixture, mix together with boiling water and leave to set. Dependent on how you want your stuffing, either spread flat in a dish or ball up for individual portions. Put in the oven to cook with around 30 minutes left on the chicken.
For the veg, add all your chosen greens to boiling water for around 10 minutes, longer for a softer taste and shorter for a crunchier texture. Once complete, leave to one side and start the gravy. For a quick time-saver, pick up some gravy granules and follow the measurements on the packet, adding to boiling water and stirring. Add the juices from the meat once the chicken is done for extra flavour, and so no one can tell the difference! Finally, add the Yorkshire puddings with 6-10 minutes to go until their slightly crisp but still soft on the bottom.
Once done, carve the chicken, pile all your veg on the plate, and cover in gravy. One perfect roast chicken is served!

Forgotten to pick up gravy granules? Left the spuds off your shopping list? Or perhaps you’re going to attempt a practice traditional Christmas roast ahead of the big day! Buy those last few neglected items from your local SPAR and get cooking.