Good Food Blog

Summer roasts - right or wrong?

Posted at 12:02PM, 10 June 2008 by Holly Jones - researcher, bbcgoodfood.com

You can't beat a steaming hot, fluffy roastie, crisped up, with lashings of gravy. Ah perfection. Accompanied by the rest of a traditional roast dinner, there are few things on a cold winter Sunday that will compete. But what about when the sun comes out?

I have to say that roast dinners in my life become obsolete in summer, but apparently it's not the same for all.

In my mind, summer is a time of al fresco eating, which I associate with salads, quiches, and light dining. A roast would be completely out of place on a hot sunny afternoon. Roast parsnips, surely, would not give you the same satisfaction in a 27 degree heat as they do on a cold winter's day?

Open quotation Roast parsnips, surely, would not give you the same satisfaction in a 27 degree heat as they do on a cold winter's day?Close quotation

To be honest, the thought of a roast in the summer hadn't crossed my mind. I hadn't really seen it as an option, but a friend recently put the idea in my head and it got me thinking.

As a keen cook I wonder if I would be bothered to slave over sizzling duck fat, a big chunk of beef and an apple crumble? (I'm a firm believer in crumble and custard as part of a roast!)

I do love the satisfaction of having people over and serving up perfect crackling, and a steaming hot joint, happy faces all around and content bellies. But would I do it if it was hot? I don't think I would.

Pubs are often the same. The weather changes and so does the menu. Roast dinners disappear to make way for griddled tuna and lamb koftas served with harissa and cous cous. No one wants to be playing Frisbee on the common with a bloated, post-roast fullness do they?

It's the same with pies. With family roots in Lancashire I am a lover of all things pastry cased, a hot steaming steak and kidney pudding definitely has its place on my menu, but only between the months of say, November to February. I wouldn't want one served up to me on the hottest day of the year. Or so I thought.

Now I am beginning to wonder if I am missing out - maybe I've overlooked the gastronomic experience of a good roast on a hot day? Fingers crossed the weather will last and I can find out. Roll on Sunday!

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Comments

  • Binder photo Girl Flower
    10 June, 12:53PM

    Girl Flower

    Open QuoteI agree with you Holly. A roast is something I had never even considered on a hot day. Then a few weeks ago I roasted a chicken and did the full roast dinner. I felt weird, it felt wrong and my kitchen was hotter than the sun. I did however like that I had lots of left over roast to turn into salads and 'appropriate' hot weather foods!

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  • Binder photo James
    10 June, 4:22PM

    James

    Open QuoteWhat about drizzling pesto over the roasties when they're done - the light summer touch. Instead of winter-style gravy what about mixing the gravy with vinaigrette and olive oil - more of a dressing than a gravy - another light summer touch. Whole roast salmon? Roast chicken with rataouille and roast new potatoes - more summery Leaving it till 9pm helps too - when it's cooler.

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  • Binder photo Antonia
    10 June, 8:17PM

    Antonia

    Open QuoteI still enjoy a good roast in the summer, but I don't serve it with the same trimmings as I do in the winter. On Sunday it was very hot but I enjoyed roast chicken with new potatoes and a salad with rocket, roasted red onions and pine nuts. No gravy (I couldn't hack that in hot weather), just some mayo and salad dressing. We ate al fresco - it was superb. I also love a roast fillet of beef with summery side dishes, or lamb for that matter.

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  • Binder photo Gayns
    10 June, 9:21PM

    Gayns

    Open QuoteI love a nice roast whatever the weather. For the last 3 Sundays I have made one pot Sunday dinners like beef in beer or Slow roasted Lamb with onions & thyme -20 mins prep and leave in the oven for 3 hours so there is no getting hot and flustered just put on some new potatoes and baby veg for the last 1/2 hour of cooking Lovely!!!!!!

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  • Binder photo pboropixie
    11 June, 12:47PM

    pboropixie

    Open QuoteMy friends tease me because I insist that - whatever the weather - on a Sunday I cook a 'proper' Sunday dinner. In order to qualify the meal has to be able to be served with yorkshire puddings and gravy. If it can't then it doesn't get served on Sunday, no matter how hot it may be outside! Last Sunday we enjoyed lamb chops cooked with rosemary and garlic, new potatoes, veg, yorkshires and gravy - yum!

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  • Binder photo jenny18
    11 June, 4:07PM

    jenny18

    Open QuoteGot to have a roast on a sunday, chance for the family to catch up... and nothing better than being able to sit in the garden and eat it, no mess!

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  • Binder photo rozmorgan
    11 June, 6:39PM

    rozmorgan

    Open QuoteObviously some things wouldn't work. I think Roast Beef is best on a cold winters day, but why not chicken? It can be made very summery as in the last issue of Easy Cook with Russian salad, grilled asparagus and goats cheese stuff. We can't wait to try that out!

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  • Binder photo kipperelli
    12 June, 1:33PM

    kipperelli

    Open QuoteAs a child I remember roasts stopping in summer or maybe it was just gravy ( there's a line in the TV prog The Royle family about not having gravy in the summer!) because we had roast ham or chicken. Also roast potatoes stopped because all you could get were locally grown new potatoes and in those days you only boiled new potatoes! I love a roast all year round and have just bought a leg of lambe to do the works this sunday with gravy and roast potatoes.

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  • Binder photo debbie
    12 June, 1:58PM

    debbie

    Open QuoteIt's neither right or wrong, its whatever takes your fancy on a Sunday. If I want a roast i'll do the full works or if we want something lighter a salad. I love a roast anytime of year whatever the weather

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  • Binder photo Ger
    14 June, 12:13PM

    Ger

    Open QuoteI too am a huge roast dinner fan (also generally accompanied by crumble!). In the summer I sometimes get up really early on a Sunday and roast a nice free range bird. I also roast baby potatoes with garlic and rosemary and make the Avoca Cafe potato salad with balsamic vinegar and put a couple of loafs of homemade bread in the breadmaker. When the chicken is out of the oven, we wrap it in a couple of layers of tin foil and take it on a picnic. Nothing like roast chicken, homemade bread and a few spuds on the beach!

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  • Binder photo Nennepus
    16 June, 5:21PM

    Nennepus

    Open QuoteWho said summer days where warm... A nice roast chicken with roasted summer veg is lovely on a chilly and rainy june sunday!

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  • Binder photo Tina
    22 June, 7:07PM

    Tina

    Open QuoteA nice lemon,garlic and rosemary roast (free range) chicken with perhaps a couscous salad and cherry tomatoes and avocado, chilled white wine. Perfect summer food!

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  • Binder photo june
    1 July, 1:03PM

    june

    Open QuoteI do love a roast! but the thought of cooking one on a hot sunday isn't good. Spatchcock a Chicken, rub in Fresh coriander, chilli, Olive Oil etc and put it on the Barbie with a jacket Spud. Serve with Salad. Also try freezing G & T in lolly makers! Yummy.

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