Top Tip: Perfect Your Roast Potatoes

Easter is traditionally a time for families to come together, and whilst this year might look a bit different than most imagined, we hope that our Head Chef Ian Howard’s top tips for the perfect Easter roast will help households across the country enjoy a great meal at home this Easter weekend.

CHEF IAN’S TOP TIPS:

“My favourite meat for Easter Sunday is a slow braised lamb leg or shoulder, which also gives you the most amazing gravy.

No roast dinner would be complete without perfectly crisp roast potatoes. In my opinion, King Edward or Maris Piper varieties produce the best roasties. To start, make sure they are chopped and ¾ cooked in boiling, salted water. The most important step comes next – drain the water and gently toss the potatoes until the edges are fluffy. Place into a roasting tray with bubbling hot duck fat, then season with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder, before cooking at 200oC until golden and crisp.

To make a rich, flavoursome gravy, the trick is to use the flavours from the cooking process. Roughly chop carrot, onion, celery, leek and garlic, then add rosemary, thyme, red wine and beef stock. Place everything in a roasting tin and place the lamb on top (a shoulder or leg on the bone works best) then cover with tin foil and cook for 5 hours at 130oC. Cooking the meat low and slow should result in a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, filled with flavour. To make the gravy, simply remove the meat and leave it to rest, drain off the cooking juices and reduce the sauce by simmering in a pan.”

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