Four top tips for your next Sunday roast

Whether it’s friends sharing a table for a special occasion, or the whole family gathered on the weekend, nothing brings people together like a roast.

The ceremonial carving starts the feast, followed by eager arms reaching across the table for the mountains of vegetables, sides and condiments.

Roasts are so easy to customise, they can be as elaborate or simple as you like and these four tips will make sure your next roast will be one to remember.

Roast of choice
Every festival needs a main event, and so it is with the Sunday roast. Whether it’s a leg of lamb, a crackling-covered shoulder of pork, a rare roast beef, a whole duck or the ever-popular chicken, a little bit of extra care and some special ingredients can elevate it to something truly special.

• Chicken: For a really lux chook, try spreading a spoonful of Truffle Salsa under the skin before roasting for a rich and earthy flavour. If you prefer something more bright and gently spicy, this Roast chicken with preserved lemon, Aleppo pepper & thyme is a winner.
• Lamb: Use a leg with the bone in for maximum flavour in this citrusy spiced Slow-roasted leg of lamb with black lime and cinnamon. For a roast with classic flavours, try this Belgian lamb with pungent mustard.
• Pork: Ensure the skin is very dry and use a medium grain salt (not flaked or fine) for perfect crackling. A salt rub like this French Salt and Herbes de Provence Rub is an effortless way to infuse a fatty, boneless shoulder of pork with lots of flavour. If you're the daring type and have a charcoal barbeque, we can't recommend this Charcoal roast pork stuffed with roast peppers enough.
• Beef: To make a really tender, juicy and flavourful rump or oyster blade roast, make a marinade like this one from RecipeTinEats using balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. If you prefer silverside, this recipe for Juniper & balsamic corned beef is a comforting classic.

Roast potatoes
For the most delicious, super crunchy roast potatoes: boil potatoes for 8 minutes, toss roughly in flour then roast in a hot tray with our French-made duck fat (full recipe here). The high smoke-point of the duck fat allows the potatoes to become crunchy and golden as opposed to burnt.

If you prefer the flavour of olive oil, make smashed potatoes! Boil unpeeled whole baby potatoes until soft (about 25 mins). Place on a tray and gently squash under a bowl or cup, allow steam to escape and dry out slightly for a few minutes. Drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil, season with flaky salt and black pepper, then roast for 45mins at 200C.

Sprinkle your potatoes with a flavoured salt, like truffle salt, for an extra special touch. 

Seasonal vegetables
Choose vegetables that are in season. Out of season produce just won't have the best flavour and will be more expensive.

• Spring: Broccoli, spinach, peas, zucchini and beans. Cassoulet verde uses lots of beautiful green vegetables and herbs.
• Summer: Radish, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn and eggplant.
• Autumn: Pumpkin, turnips, mushrooms and beetroot. Try a Pomegranate-glazed beetroot salad.
• Winter: Fennel, silverbeet, brussel sprouts and carrots. We love this hearty Grain Salad with roasted carrots and harissa.

Lightly pickled vegetables are a great counter to the richness of the roast meat and potatoes. Think cucumbers dressed with white wine vinegar, walnut oil and fresh dill, or carrots with rice vinegar, coriander and cumin seeds and mint. 

Gravy
A quality roasting pan makes cooking your meat and veggies easy, letting everything caramelise and brown without getting stuck to the cookware. But the best thing is, once the cooking’s done, you can deglaze the pan with a splash of verjuice, vinegar or wine, then add stock for the simplest pan sauce. Thicken with a cornflour slurry if you prefer your gravy to have a more luscious consistency.

If all that sounds too labour intensive, Bowles Jus is a perfect secret weapon. It produces a thin sauce for meat with next-to-no effort without forgoing the flavour.

A roast shared with friends is the epitome of comfort food, both humble and celebratory and perfect for any occasion. Take your roast to the next level with quality cookware the best ingredients, available from your nearest The Essential Ingredient store. Or buy online for delivery to anywhere in Australia.