A Recipe For The Perfect Sunday Lunch

The perfect Sunday Lunch is an iconic tradition enjoyed by millions of families across the globe every week. Although it may be a simple dish to prepare, the perfect Sunday Lunch requires an almost ritualistic level of preparation of the perfectly moist pork loin roast recipe for example, and effort from everyone involved for it to be complete. This article will explore what makes the perfect Sunday Lunch and how you can recreate this fantastic meal at home!

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Ingredients

Everybody has their idea about what makes a good Sunday lunch – but it's nearly always centred around two things – great food and family time together. To create the perfect Sunday lunch, you need to start with some key ingredients: quality meat/fish/vegetables, a tasty gravy, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, green veg and a sequence of side dishes.

Prepare the meat

The Sunday lunch is not complete without meat at its core – usually either roast pork or beef - but there are other options. The correct preparation of the meat is essential for the success of your Sunday lunch – it needs to be cooked slowly and accurately. You should ensure that your oven is set to the right temperature before you put the meat in, as well as allowing some time for heating up. This allows the meat to cook perfectly.

Prepare the gravy

Once lunch is over, it's traditional for lunch meats of roast pork, beef, chicken or ham served with carrots and potatoes followed by a rich gravy containing pan scrapings from the bottom of the roasting tray, which is poured into water boiled with flour. The thickened liquid is then added back into the original browned bits of leftover meat juices left in the baking dish after being removed for carving - this mixture is called 'au jus'.

Roast potatoes

Traditional Sunday lunch recipes call for roast potatoes to be used as an accompaniment to the meat and to form part of the meal itself when served with cheese melted on top. An assortment of cooking techniques can be used to make perfect roast potatoes - you can use goose fat, olive oil or even duck fat instead of standard vegetable oil if you want your lunch beef or steak or chicken to be extra tasty.

Yorkshire puddings

There is a debate about whether Yorkshire pudding should be cooked before the meat goes into the oven, during it alongside the roast spuds and carrots etc., in the end, along with any stuffing that was cooked separately or even if you should make one large Yorkshire pudding instead of individual ones. The fundamental rule for perfect Yorkshire puddings is never open the door while they are cooking. The other tip for ensuring outstanding Yorkshire Pudding success every time is to avoid pouring all of your batters in at once - try to do it in stages.

Vegetables

You have to include some vegetables if you're going for a traditional Sunday lunch – carrots, parsnips, and of course broccoli. Remember not to overcook any vegetables, or their taste will diminish. Also, don't forget that adding seasoning is essential - your roast lunch wouldn't be the same without added salt and pepper. Brussels sprouts can also be a great accompaniment – if cooked correctly, they will form a tasty alternative to potatoes.

Desserts

You can always save yourself for pudding with delicious desserts like apple crumble, chocolate fudge cake, or even fruit fool served with cream or ice cream. You might want to consider adding a delightful Sunday lunch dessert to your lunch as an extra special treat!