Working families having a leisurely sit-down meal together is something everyone looks forward to. The Sunday lunch is a tradition for many families and it’s great to surprise the folks and spring a whole roast at them.
Classic French Roast Chicken
The roast chicken may be time consuming but it is very easy to cook and a sure way to please diners and guests. The French roast chicken is unique because when roasted in the traditional French method, the flesh remains moist and succulent because of the stock added to the roasting tin.
Ingredients
1 sprig of rosemary (or dried)
90 gm butter at room temperature
1 big chicken, whole with skin
Freshly ground black pepper
300 ml chicken stock (one can use stock cubes)
2 tsp plain flour
4 whole pods of garlic
Method
Put the rosemary and 30 gm of the butter in the chicken cavity and season well with black pepper. Rub the remaining butter over the breast. Put the chicken, breast side down and the garlic pods in a roasting tin, pour the stock over and cover with aluminium foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 190°C for 20 minutes for every 500 gm of the chicken. So if you have a 1.5 kg chicken, cook for an hour, turning the chicken on to its sides and finally on to its back, basting with butter occasionally to brown evenly. Transfer the chicken and garlic on a serving platter and reserve the cooking juices for the gravy.
For the gravy
Take the roasting tin with the cooking juices, add flour and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk. Add some more stock if needed and simmer till the gravy thickens. Strain and serve with the chicken and roasted garlic pods at once.
Chilled Lemon Soufflé (serves 4)
A Sunday lunch is not complete without a sinful dessert and a chilled lemon soufflé is just the thing to sign off a meal with.
Ingredients
2 tbsp powdered gelatine
3 medium eggs, separated
250 gm castor sugar
Grated zest and juice of 3 lemons
300 ml thick cream, whipped
30 gm almonds, roasted and lightly crushed (optional)
3 tbsp cold water
1 litre soufflé dish
Method
Tie a double band of aluminium foil around the soufflé dish so that it stands about 4 cm above the top of the dish. Put the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Leave for 10 minutes till it becomes spongy. Lower the bowl onto a pan of hot water and heat till the gelatine dissolves.
Put the egg yolks and sugar into a heat-proof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water but do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water and whisk the yolk and sugar with a hand mixer. Add the lemon zest and juice and whisk at high speed till the mixture is thick and pale.
Fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture, and then fold in the gelatine. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites till stiff and fold into the lemon mixture. Pour the entire mixture into the soufflé dish.
Level the surface and chill for four hours until set. Carefully remove the aluminium foil collar and decorate the outside edges and the top with the roasted almond (if using) and serve.