Sunday lunch – with a fresh twist

The tradition of Sunday lunch is precious to many of us. It can be the highlight of the week, a chance to sit around the table with the family, enjoy a good meal and catch up. And of course you can’t beat a classic roast – or can you?

The same meal week after week can become dreary to even the staunchest traditionalist, so here are some ideas to freshen up your Sunday lunch game – from a subtle twist to a whole new world.

From Sainsbury’s: Sticky Ginger Beer Ham

Give your classic gammon joint a flavourful twist!

Ingredients

For the joint

• 2kg boneless gammon joint
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly sliced
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 litre ginger beer
• 2 oranges, quartered

For the glaze

• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 50g light brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 orange, juiced

Method

1. Put the gammon in a large pan and add the onion, carrots, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Pour over the ginger beer and top up with enough water to cover the gammon. Bring to the boil, skimming off any impurities. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, topping up with boiling water if the pork starts popping out. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquid for 1½ hours.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the honey, sugar, cinnamon and orange juice over a low heat, then increase the heat and simmer until it becomes syrupy.
3. Line a roasting tin with foil and transfer the gammon on to it. Add the quartered oranges. Brush half the glaze over the fat of the gammon then roast in the oven for 45 minutes, brushing the remaining glaze over it halfway through.

Jamie Oliver’s Spring Chicken Pie

A lighter take on the traditional roast with similar ingredients – perfect for sunny Sundays!

Ingredients

2 lemons

500 g Jersey Royals

½ a bunch of fresh tarragon

1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

8 free-range chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, from sustainable sources

6 cloves of garlic

olive oil

50 g unsalted butter

2 tablespoons plain flour

400 ml organic chicken stock

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

75 g watercress

5 sheets of filo pastry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
2. Halve the lemons, quarter the Jersey Royals, then pick and finely chop the tarragon and parsley.
3. Put the chicken, unpeeled garlic cloves, lemon and potatoes in a large baking tray, drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss together.
4. Pop in the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden, crispy and cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan until bubbling. Add the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to form a paste, then slowly pour in the stock, whisking until thickened. Add the mustard, then season.
6. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and reserve the skin and discard any gristle. Shred the meat, discarding the bones.
7. Squeeze the garlic from its skins back into the roasting tray and squeeze over all the juice from the lemons and toss well.
8. Pour over the thickened stock and add the herbs and watercress. Check the seasoning, then finely chop the chicken skins and sprinkle over the filling.
9. Lay out sheets of filo on a clean surface and cut each one in half. Lightly scrunch up and place on top of the pie filling, brushing with the melted butter.
10. Bake for 25 minutes, or until crispy and golden, then serve with a crisp green salad.

Good Food’s Roast Salmon with Preserved Lemon

Another lighter option for those warmer days.

Ingredients

40g preserved lemon, flesh and pith removed

100ml gin

1kg side organic farmed or wild salmon

(tail end)

50g sea salt

50g golden caster sugar

1 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp chilli flakes

½ small bunch dill, washed

For the preserved lemon roasting oil

30g preserved lemons, seeds removed

4 tbsp olive oil

1. In a food processor, blitz together the lemon and gin. Lay your salmon skin-side down in a roasting tin and pour over the lemon and gin mix. Combine the salt, sugar, thyme and chilli flakes, then spoon over the salmon. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 2 hrs.
2. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Thirty mins before you want to cook the salmon, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. To make the roasting oil, blitz the preserved lemons and olive oil. Gently rinse the cure from the salmon and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay it skin-side down in an oiled roasting tray and pour over the roasting oil, rubbing it all over the fish. Cover the tin tightly with foil and roast for 15 mins.
3. Remove the foil and return the fish to the oven for a further 10 mins. Take out of the oven and rest for 5 mins, then scatter over freshly torn dill, to serve.

Mary Berry’s Nut Roast

Why not try a meat-free Sunday with this rich and flavourful nut roast?

Ingredients

1 medium aubergine

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

40g (1.5oz) butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

175g (6oz) shelled mixed nuts (such as Brazils, pine nuts, blanched whole almonds), chopped in the processor, but not too finely

50g (2oz) shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

100g (4oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

Grated rind and juice of half a lemon

100g (4oz) mature Cheddar, grated

100g (4oz) frozen chestnuts, thawed and roughly chopped

2 eggs, beaten

4tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the grill, and oven to 200ºC/Fan 180ºC/Gas 6.
2. Line a loaf tin with foil and oil lightly.
3. Slice the aubergine thinly, lengthways. Arrange on a large oiled baking tray in a single layer, brush or drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook under the hot grill for 5-7 mins each side until the aubergine has softened and is beginning to turn golden. The aubergine will cook to a deep brown once in the oven, so don’t worry about getting too much colour at this stage. Once you have turned the aubergine slices over, do keep a close eye on them as the second side will colour more quickly than the first side. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Use the aubergines to line across the base and sides of the prepared loaf tin, all slices going in the same direction.
5. Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 mins. Spoon into a large bowl and leave to cool.
6. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with plenty of seasoning, and stir well to mix.
7. Spoon into the loaf tin, pressing the mixture down firmly. Fold the ends of aubergine over the top of the filling and cover the tin with the foil.
8. Cook in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn out onto a serving plate, remove the tin and garnish with sprigs of flat-leaf parsley.
9. Slice thickly to serve.

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