Roast Dinner

For the roast potatoes:

About 50 minutes before the meat is to be taken out of the oven, put 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in a baking tin and place in the oven to get hot. You don’t need the potatoes to be swimming in the oil but just need enough to coat the base of the baking tin.

Take the amount of potatoes you need, peel and cut into half. If they are large potatoes cut into half again. Parboil them for about 8 minutes until they are almost cooked, but still firm. Test with a knife. Drain, give them a slight shake to roughen the edges a little and leave to one side.

About 35-40 minutes before the meat is due out of the oven and when the oil is nice and hot, spoon in the potatoes with a long handled spoon and turn them over to give a good coating of the hot oil. Let them roast happily along with the meat, turning occasionally.

For the oven roasted vegetables:

Place in the oven about 35 minutes before you want to serve them.

For the roasted parsnips:

Place in oven about 20 minutes before you want to serve them.

For the Mixed Vegetables:

These can be cooked in advance. Prepare the vegetables, cut the carrots into small batons or into cubes, top and tail the fine beans, cut the broccoli into florets. Boil or microwave them separately until just tender. Drain and arrange in microwavable dishes and cover with clingfilm ready to be heated up just before you want to serve them. If you like you can mix the carrots and peas together or halve the green beans and mix them with the carrots whilst they are cooking. Either way all you will have to do is heat them up at the last minute.

For the carrot and swede mash:

This can also be prepared in advance. Peel 1 medium-sized swede and 6 carrots, cut into small cubes. Boil until tender, drain. Empty them into a bowl, season well, add a knob of butter and a little grated nutmeg, if you like. Chop with a knife until nice and fine. It’s a little tedious, but I think it is nicer chopped rather than mashed. Turn into a microwavable dish, cover and leave until ready to heat up.

Yorkshire Puddings are traditionally served with Beef. But being from Yorkshire, I love making these and serve them with any roast dinner. Give a good 35 minutes for them to cook in the hot oven. Put them in the oven when the roast potatoes are on their last 15 minutes and when the meat is taken out of the oven turn up the heat by 10-20ºC, allowing them to be brought to the table when everything else is on the plate.

The Gravy: can be made in advance, ready to heat up. Or for quickness use Gravy Granules and make just before serving.