What are your best roast dinner tips?

[NomineCornelia]

Just that really. My mum always taught me the that you need very hot plates and very hot gravy to serve, it can all get a bit lukewarm otherwise by the time it is all dished up.

Chicken for us today, given a nice herby boob job under the skin for flavour. I've never got the hang of making gravy

I'd love to hear any other tips to make things easier and/or tastier!

Frozen veg are your best friends for a roast dinner. Not all frozen veg obviously as some are vile but the nice ones like spinach, aunt Bessie’s mashed carrot and swede , peas, sweet corn can be heated in a microwaveable serving dish freeing up space on the hob and saving on washing up.

If I am cooking for a big crowd I will roast the meat in the morning or even the day before and carve it before people arrive. Before serving reheat it on it’s foil covered serving dish over a Bain Marie with a little gravy or cooking juice poured over it.

Wash up as much as you can before you sit down.

Cupful of water under the roasting rack, basis for gravy and keeps meat moist.
Add half a glass of brandy when making gravy.

Get a large baking dish and put the chicken, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg in with it.
Roast it all together.
Easy and tasty.

• Use baby potatoes to roast, no need to par-boil, just shove them in the hot oil and season with salt. I tend to do these mid-week when I just need a quick potato option.

• Cook meat in a slow cooker, makes it easy to sort out timings as you can get everything else ready without worrying about it.

I crumble a stock cube into the stuffing mix, chicken if we're having chicken etc. Makes it taste amazing.

Use a fairly stiff pastry brush to coat parboiled spuds in goose fat. It roughs up the surface at the same time.

Agree with roasting poultry upside down to keep the breasts moist.

Always always always baste the meat every half hour or so.

For super juicy chicken, put it on high for 30 mins or so to crisp the skin up, then turn it right down to about 150 and cook it very slowly, basting in it's own juices every 30 mins or so. It comes out so soft and juicy.

Just cooked roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, broccoli and peas and gravy. Got home a bit early.

Tips - for the pots and Yorkshire heat the oil in the oven first. For the beef let it rest under foil before carving. For gravy use the juices from the roasting tin, add flour and water from the veg, stir and heat on the hob with seasoning. It's all very simple but just a lot of greasy tins to wash up.

Easiest cheats are;

Prick whole potatoes and put in same time as meat. Cut and scoop out potato and add butter & milk (and cheese sometimes) for mash. Husband likes to put bacon and cheese in the leftover skins for a starter.

Meat in the slower cooker with gravy

Tinned potatoes drained and seasoned make great roasties

One large pan for veggies- carrots at the bottom as heaviest, then brocolli & cabbage at the top (use the water from pan for any extra gravy needed)

Make one large Yorkshire pudding in a pan and slice - or just buy the 4 mins to cook ones!

Buy a meat thermometer. The guide time on the package is inevitably far too long for my oven, sometimes by 30-40 minutes. A thermometer gives you the confidence to know that the meat is cooked and you won’t poison your guests and removes the temptation to overcook it.

Always always rest the meat. It will retain heat for a long time but even if it’s a bit tepid it doesn’t matter if you have the hot plates and gravy mentioned by pp.