How to Build the Perfect Sunday Roast

Before I start cooking, I decide roughly what time I want the roast to be ready.

Then I work backwards.

The chicken will usually take the longest, so that becomes the starting point for everything else. Your potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and other sides can then be timed around it.

Remember to include resting time for your meat too. That little window is actually really useful because it frees up oven space for anything that needs crisping or reheating at the end.

Trying to peel potatoes, chop vegetables, season chicken and make sides while things are already cooking is where a roast can start to feel stressful.

I like to get as much ready beforehand as I can.

Peel and cut your potatoes. Prepare your vegetables. Season your meat. Get your roasting trays ready. If you're making something like cauliflower cheese, you can usually assemble that earlier too.

Then once cooking starts, you're mostly moving things into the oven at the right time rather than trying to prepare everything at once.

For me, roast potatoes are one of the most important parts of the entire dinner.

You want that really crispy, golden outside with a fluffy middle, and rushing them at the end rarely gives you the same result.

Parboiling the potatoes first helps soften the outside. Once drained, let them steam dry for a few minutes before gently roughing up the edges.

Those rough little edges are exactly what become beautifully crispy in the oven.

Your roasting tray and fat should also be properly hot before the potatoes go in.

This applies to potatoes and roasted vegetables.

If everything is packed tightly together, the moisture coming from the food can cause it to steam rather than roast.

Give everything some room.

If you're making a larger Sunday dinner, using an extra roasting tray is usually better than squeezing everything onto one.

You'll get much better browning and crispier edges.

When your chicken comes out of the oven, don't carve it immediately.

Resting gives the juices inside the meat time to redistribute, which helps keep the chicken juicy when you slice it.

Loosely cover it while it rests and use that time to finish everything else.

This is when I'd turn my attention to getting the potatoes extra crispy, finishing vegetables, heating Yorkshire puddings and making sure the gravy is ready.

One of the things that makes a roast dinner so good is the combination of textures.

You've got crispy potatoes, juicy meat, soft vegetables, crunchy roasted edges, creamy sides and silky gravy.

Try not to make every side soft.

Something crispy alongside something creamy makes the whole plate much more interesting. Cauliflower cheese with crispy roast potatoes is a perfect example.

We eat with our eyes first, especially when you're making a big Sunday dinner.

A plate of chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and gravy can become very beige very quickly.

Adding vegetables like honey roasted carrots and parsnips, greens or broccoli gives the plate colour as well as another flavour and texture.

It also makes the finished roast look SO much better in photos.

Yorkshire puddings are at their best when they're puffed, golden and crisp.

If you're making them fresh, I'd cook them towards the end rather than having them sitting around while everything else finishes.

If you've made them ahead, give them a few minutes in the oven before serving to bring back that crispness.

And whatever you do, try not to keep opening the oven door while they're rising!

The resting time is perfect for gravy.

If you have flavourful juices from your roast, use them. They add so much more depth than making gravy completely separately.

Taste as you go too.

Depending on how your meat was seasoned and what stock you're using, you might not need much additional salt.

Keep the gravy warm while you finish the last few sides.

This is such a small thing, but it makes a difference when you've spent ages getting every part of your roast ready at the same time.

A cold plate starts cooling your food as soon as you serve it.

Warm plates give you a little more breathing room while you plate everything, add the gravy and get everyone to the table.

A good Sunday roast doesn't need to be complicated.

The biggest difference is simply having a plan before you start. Get your prep done early, give the potatoes plenty of time, let your meat rest and use those final few minutes to get everything hot and crispy.

Once you get used to working backwards from the time you want to eat, making a full roast becomes much easier.

And when everything finally lands on the plate together, crispy potatoes, juicy chicken, loads of gravy and all the sides, it is SO worth it. 🤍