What’s happened to the Sunday Roast?
Slow cooked tender meat with hearty gravy made from pan juices and bits of meat stuck fast to the roasting dish. A crispy whole chicken stuffed with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs. Crackling that snaps when you take your first mouthful. Roast potatoes that are crunchy on the outside with soft and fluffy inners. Good things take time.
Lemon Roast Chicken
Time is what has happened to the Sunday roast. It takes time to prepare and cook a roast. People need time to relax and enjoy one another’s company without rushing off. Sometimes people need a gentle nudge. There’s no denying the commercialism of Selak’s NZ Roast Day (Sunday 2 August); recipes by celebrity chef, Simon Gault matched with Selak wines but the excuse to bring extended family and friends together and enjoy fabulous New Zealand food and wine is what really resonated.
Roast Pork Belly
When time is not on my side the ‘chicken brick’, a fortieth birthday present, is the perfect solution. A whole stuffed chicken cooks slowly inside the brick as the oven warms up from cold to hot and is ready in less than 90 minutes. Crunchy skin, moist flesh and enough juices for someone to make delicious gravy, while someone else carves.
The chicken brick in action
So whether it’s roast pork belly, lemon chicken, sticky ribs or simply a roast vegetable salad with crumbly feta – let’s make time.
Five spice sticky ribs
Simple roast vegetable salad
Enjoy your week.
Michelle
NOTE: All photos were taken by The Foodie Inc and include images taken during the photoshoot for Celebrate! Churchill Park 50th Jubilee Cookbook (2014)