WHEN it comes to making the perfect roast dinner, everyone has their tried and tested methods for keeping the meat moist, the roast potatoes crispy and the vegetables al dente but delicious.
And a crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside Yorkshire pudding can make or break a roast dinner.
Today, Sunday, February 2 is National Yorkshire Pudding Day – a whole day dedicated to the traditional delicacy.
Yorkshire puddings were created as a way to conserve the fat that would drip off roasting meat, catching the grease in the batter mix — eggs, flour, and milk — instead of a dripping pan, and serving the resulting dish as a part of the meal.
In some households, with meat being so expensive, Yorkshire puddings would be served before the main meal to dull the appetite before the sparingly served meat course.
From boiling potatoes the night before roasting them to getting the crispiest Yorkshire puddings, chef Darryn Jones knows a thing or two about cooking the perfect roast dinner.
He is head chef and kitchen owner at 21st Amendment and bagged our 2024 award for Wirral's Best Roast Dinner.
Customers voted the traditional Sunday meal served at the popular venue the best in Wirral so we asked Darryn for his top five tips to cooking up the perfect roast dinner on National Yorkshire Pudding Day.
1. What should you do to make the perfect Yorkshire pudding, ensuring it rises every time?
Making the perfect Yorkshire pudding is all about even spread of temperature and hot air in your oven. So, instead of pouring batter into each of the six moulds of your tray use only the top left, bottom left and central moulds. This will ensure that hot air circulates evenly making for a good rise, colour and consistency.
2. How should you cook meat at home to get the best results?
Use cuts like lamb shoulder and pork belly that can be braised over a long period of time in the oven in a good stock with your favourite herbs and spices. Once out the oven, you can really take advantage of the versatility of these relatively inexpensive and delicious cuts of meat. Remember to keep the braising liquid – which takes me to question 3.
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3. Is there a method to getting the perfect gravy?
Braising liquid is the perfect gravy base! Roast your vegetables and meat offcuts in a tray on a high temperature until slightly charred. Remove and add your braising liquid. Remember to pick up all that beautiful "fond" which are the caramelised bits that stick to the roasting tray. Allow to reduce for your ideal consistency.
Use good quality potatoes for your roasties and ruffle them up before putting them in your roasting tin (Image: supplied)
4. How do you make the perfect crispy roast potatoes?
Making the perfect roasties depends on a few very important steps. Using a good quality potato. We only use Kaufmans at the restaurant. They’re pricier but far superior. After parboiling them remember to ruffle them up well by shaking them in the colander while draining. Make sure your roasting tray has a good amount of hot oil in. Keep roasting and turning until you get the perfect crunchy and delicious roasties. Finally season with a homemade rosemary salt – blitz coarse salt, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest for that perfect seasoning.
5. How can you elevate your dinner to make it even more special than a regular Sunday roast?
Elevate your roast dinner by using every part of the ingredients and not wasting anything! Take the humble parsnip. Roast and add to your vegetables or blitz with cream into a parsnip puree for the base of your plate. Save the shavings and deep fry for a perfect garnish on top of your final dish.
