The ultimate roast
If you’re planning a Sunday lunch, try these great dishes
Roast Beef with Glazed Shallots and Guinness Gravy
Serves 6
3kg rib of beef
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp light brown sugar
450g shallots, peeled
1 packet ready-made Yorkshire puddings
2 tbsp flour
450ml Guinness
bayleaves to garnish
l Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put the beef in a roasting tin and cook for 2 hours, basting occasionally. Remove from the oven, coat with the mustard and cook for a further 40 minutes.
l Meanwhile, mix the vinegar and sugar. Put the shallots in a small baking dish and pour the mixture over them. Cook with the beef for 40 minutes until soft and glazed.
L Remove the beef and shallots from the oven, cover the meat and allow to rest. Keep the shallots warm. Cook the puddings according to the packet instructions. Transfer the beef to a serving platter.
l Put the flour into a saucepan. Strain the fat from the beef juices. Over heat, slowly stir in the juices and Guinness until just thickened. Arrange the puddings around the beef and fill them with the shallots. Garnish with bay leaves.
Speedy ‘Roast’ Lamb with Peppers
Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
4 red peppers, seeded and quartered
2 yellow peppers, seeded and quartered
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
8 medium lamb cutlets
50g rocket leaves
l Heat 1 tbsp oil in a griddle pan. Cook the peppers in batches over a high heat for 5-6 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Remove and keep warm.
l Meanwhile, mix together the onion, garlic, spices and remaining oil and spread over the lamb cutlets. Cook the cutlets in a frying pan, adding a little more oil for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
l Transfer the cutlets and peppers to serving plates with the rocket leaves and serve drizzled with any juices from the pan.
Roasted Red Mullet with Scordalia
Serves 6
Skordalia
50g white bread, crusts removed
100g ground almonds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
210ml olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
roast mullet
6 red mullet, scaled and gutted
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, broken into pieces
2 lemons, thinly sliced
100ml white wine
4 tbsp olive oil
l For the skordalia, dip the bread in a little cold water and squeeze out the excess. Place in a food processor along with the ground almonds and garlic and blend briefly to combine. Drizzle the oil down the feeder tube until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Blend in the lemon juice and season well.
l For the roast mullet, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7. Using a sharp knife, make several slashes on either side of each fish. Tuck a little of the rosemary inside the body cavity and season well. Arrange the mullet side by side in a large roasting tin.
l Scatter the fish with the lemon slices and the remaining rosemary, pushing some in between the fish. Drizzle over the wine and olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, basting halfway through until the fish flakes easily. Serve the mullet with the skordalia sauce, a mixed salad and potatoes.
