A little like clothing, the great thing about food these days is that anything goes really. Our purest attitudes to meal times and the type of food suitable to certain times of the day and special occasions have largely been put aside to cope with our busy and varying lifestyles, beliefs and pursuits. Breakfast was and still is one of the most important meals of the day, and for some the only meal. These days we tend to forego the value of a good breakfast and to our detriment trade it for extra minutes in bed. Breakfast provides the first fuel for the day ahead and should never be underestimated as a foundation for great health.
Many people have dinner in the evening. With the main work day over it is a relaxed time to come together with family or friends, break bread and reflect on events. It is a time when many families catch up, share news and even air grievances. Formal studies have found that families who get around a table and share at least one meal together every day function better than those that don’t.
Lunch is possibly the trickiest to get right. Sandwiched neatly between breakfast and dinner it requires the right foods; food that gives energy for the afternoon but doesn’t cause a desire to sleep. The definition of lunch changes at the weekends or on days off, when it can contain the very best dining experience of them all. I have recently found that long, drawn out lunches at weekends and days off are particularly appealing.
But Sunday lunch remains a firm favourite. It’s perfectly acceptable to make a stab at a sophisticated, European experience for a Saturday lunch. Various bean salads or rocket and spinach based fish dishes or pretentious risottos accompanied by rustic, crusty breads are all very well on a Saturday, but Sunday lunch is all about a roast. And what better opportunity for a real Sunday lunch with all the trimmings than Easter Sunday. Beef, chicken, turkey, lamb – or any joint of your choice; even the mere thought of a roast dinner gets the juices going. Yes it requires work, but the result is worth it and the memories you are creating are priceless.
Some cooks favour chicken, others consider it a non event unless it is beef and then there is lamb, which still has the power to divide and polarise. Some people love the smell of lamb cooking while others couldn’t even stand the thought of it. Traditionally it is the joint of choice for Easter, but it really is a matter of individual taste; there are no rules. While the meat forms the centrepiece, the gravy is hugely important. Potatoes play a large part, with some even serving them in several forms. It’s never surprising in Ireland to find mashed potato, roast and even croquet potatoes on the same plate. If serving beef, a cook could stand or fall on the quality of the accompanying Yorkshire pudding. Singles and couples tend to be greatly disadvantaged when it comes to roast dinners. It is certainly a lot of work for just one person and even for two it is difficult given the quantity. Just like the Turkey at Christmas, the key is having enough recipes in your repertoire to deal with the leftovers to justify cooking a joint of meat for two in the first place. If you are having a crowd over, then a roast will always be a winner. The ultimate resolution for a single or couple is to arrange an invitation to someone who is having a roast! The Irish Mammy is still a good bet at Easter and Christmas despite the modern world.
However if you’re doing the cooking the first thing to get right is the type of joint. If it is beef make sure it is rib or sirloin or at least a suitable cut for roasting. Ask your butcher if you’re not sure. There are two schools of thought on roasting: cook the meat from start to finish at a consistent medium temperature, which produces a juicy, evenly-cooked roast; or put it in a very hot oven to start, and then lower the temperature for the remainder of the cooking time, which helps brown the roast and its juices. Always let the meat warm up to room temperature for at least an hour or two before putting it in the oven.
Preparing the meat is also worth considering. With a chicken I would always make sure the skin is dry to the touch and then generously butter it while also placing knobs of butter at the leg and wing joints. A sprinkling of salt and pepper never goes astray at this point either. With lamb I have always found success with making small slits in the surface and sticking in a slice of garlic and a sprig of rosemary at measured intervals. When it comes to beef the least I would do is dust the fat surface with a mixture of flour and mustard powder. Again none of the above is really necessary but adds to the overall finished dish. I like to baste meat, even if it is supposedly self basting, but always remember that every time you open the oven door you are affecting the temperature, so you’ll need to take this into account when calculating the overall cooking time. And finally, rest, rest, rest! (And I don’t mean take a seat and enjoy a glass of wine; we’re talking about the joint.) This is vital regardless of the meat you are serving. Take the meat from the oven and let it rest for a minimum of 20minutes before carving or serving.
A roast dinner is all in the planning and preparation, but once underway it is actually much easier to cook than most people think. While I love to embrace and experiment with new food ideas, we should never loose sight of the value of a roast dinner enjoyed by family and friends. The memories will last forever and are therefore worth every minute of the preparation. If you have any queries by all means drop by the shop, James Whelan Butchers in Oakville Shopping Centre where we will be happy to help. Happy Easter.
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