Cooking up a roast this weekend? We know it can be a daunting task! From all the different ingredients, different parts and different cooking times, it's a lot to take on - But no fear Saturday Kitchen's James Martin has a fool-proof yet DELICIOUS recipe for all those vital roast dinner players! Learn to nail Yorkshire Puddings, DELICIOUS herb-coated beef and even a gorgeous roasted beetroot side - But beware, you may get lumbered with roast every weekend as a result!
James Says: “I love this dish not just because of the beef and beetroot (and of course the puddings), but for its simple flavours. Great beef and beetroot are perfect together and fresh beetroot taken straight from the ground into the pot tastes so much better than any flown halfway round the world in plastic bags.”
MORE: This mini lamb roast recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a Sunday roast any day of week
HERB-COATED BEEF WITH BEETROOTS & YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
Serves 6, Preparation time 40-45 minutes, plus chilling, Cooking time 30 minutes, plus resting
INGREDIENTS
• 4 large beetroots
• 50g/2oz salted butter, softened
• 1kg/2 1/4lb fillet beef
• 1 1/2 tbsp treacle
• A small bunch of fresh herbs (such as parsley and thyme), chopped
For the Yorkshire puddings
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 eggs
• 600ml/1pt whole milk
• 40g/1 1/2oz dripping
For the sauce
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine
• 400ml/14fl oz veal jus
OTHER: Masterchef's Steve Groves will convince you to try a MARMALADE stuffing for your next dinner party
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. First, make the Yorkshire pudding batter. Put the flour into a large bowl and season well. Mix together and make a well in the middle. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously until the batter is smooth. Chill the batter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or for up to one day.
2. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas 7.
3. Put the beetroots into a medium pan and cover with cold water. Pop a lid on the pan and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the beetroots are tender. Lift them out of the pan and set aside to cool. Once cool, use kitchen paper to peel away the skins by wrapping them in the paper and rubbing. Cut each beetroot into quarters, trimming away the stalks. Beetroot juice stains hands for days so you may want to don a pair of rubber gloves while doing this.
4. To bake the Yorkshires, spoon 1 tsp of dripping into each hole of a 12-hole large muffin tin then heat it in the oven for 5 minutes until the dripping is hot. Carefully ladle the batter into each hole then bake for 30 minutes until the Yorkshires are well risen and browned.
5. To cook the beef, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the beef until browned all over. Season then brush the treacle all over and press the herbs onto the beef. Transfer the beef to a roasting tin, add the cooked beetroots and roast in the oven for 20 minutes for medium-rare.
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour the wine and veal jus into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by half, then pour into a serving jug.
7. Take the beef out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the Yorkshires, beetroots and sauce.
This recipe is from James Martin's book: James Martin’s Great British Adventure - published by Quadrille, £25, with photography by Peter Cassidy. Available on Amazon.
