Nothing beats a Sunday roast. The meal is a weekly tradition in many British households and there's always varying advice on how to best cook your meat of choice, roast potatoes and vegetables.
HELLO! caught up with MasterChef host John Torode last November to discuss all things roast – from his favourite meat to serve up to his perfect mouth-watering gravy recipe.
John, who hosts his Saturday cookery show John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen with his wife, actress Lisa Faulkner, was at the time supporting the Make it Lamb campaign and shared his tips on how to best enjoy the meat.
MORE: John Torode and Lisa Faulkner's cosy home is everything we hoped for
WATCH: John Torode on how to prepare a roast chicken
Hi John! We all love a good Sunday roast – what's your perfect roast dinner?
It's a roast leg or a shoulder of lamb, slow-cooked over potatoes so the spuds taste of the lamb and the rosemary. Simple and delicious.
What's your top tip for cooking lamb?
Score the fat, that’s always so important, scoring it out well and allowing it to render, it's where lots of the flavour is and without the fat, it's just not the same.
How can we cook delicious gravy?
Use the roasting pan juices, place the pan on the stove and sprinkle over a tablespoon of plain flour and a pinch of salt, stir well but don’t it let burn, add some water and a good grind of pepper. Stir again and add more water until you have a proper gravy. My recipe for my Nana's gravy is online.
MORE: John Torode and Lisa Faulkner's easy courgette bread is our new obsession
What's your tip for cooking great roast potatoes?
My best tip here is look up my wife Lisa's recipes for roast potatoes as hers are much better than mine!
Tell us why you're supporting the Make it Lamb campaign…
Lamb is a great ingredient, and we are lucky to have farmers who are passionate and committed to producing such a high-quality product. As so many restaurants have not been able to stay open and they are traditionally a large user of this wonderfully flavoured meat, farmers really need our help and support.
With money tight for many families in lockdown, what's your advice for eating well for less?
Buy local and buy seasonal, cook everything and use your leftovers cleverly, like my Dad's lamb fritters.
What's your guilty food pleasure?
Anything wrapped in puff pastry that is savoury, a sausage roll, pasties, meat pies you know, anything with sauce...
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John Torode's Roast Greek Lamb with Orzo & Olives
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the lamb:
- 1 X 8 bone rack of lamb
- Salt and pepper
For the orzo:
- 100g Orzo
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 courgettes, diced
- 20mls olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 5og black olives (pitted )
- 220mls water
INSTRUCTIONS
Method for the lamb:
Step 1
Preheat an oven to 180c.
Step 2
Trim the rack of lamb well but leave some fat on. The big bit of sinew at the bottom needs to go. Score the lamb fat all the way through to the flesh and then season the whole thing with a little salt and place it into a cold pan fat side down.
Step 3
Turn the heat on low and render the fat slowly for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Turn the rack over and seal the meat and season with pepper Step 5 Place the Rack on top of the Orzo and cook for 25 minutes.
Method for the orzo:
Step 1
In a large casserole, soften the onions with the garlic. Add the courgettes and season well. Add the paprika and stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 2
Add the orzo and stir so it's all mix together.
Step 3
Add the tin of tomatoes and the olives along with the water and stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes on the stove.
Step 4
Place browned lamb rack (as above) on top of the orzo and bake for 25 minutes
Serve with some Tzatziki
A simple and delicious midweek recipe by John Torode to support the Make it Lamb campaign
