Why the British love their 'Sunday Roast'

DW (English)

In the UK, for many people a Sunday roast is a weekend must. A classic Sunday roast is usually served with potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. We reveal the traditional recipe...

Transcript

00:00This is just how Britain's traditional Sunday roast is supposed to look.

00:06What makes it so dear to British hearts?

00:11It's about wholesomeness, I think.

00:13Having fun with your friends, your family.

00:15I can never finish a roast.

00:18It's not just about the roast.

00:20The side dishes are what make this a feast.

00:23So, what is the best part of it?

00:27For me it's the auction pudding, because my dad used to make it at home.

00:30So it's a good reminder of what I had as a kid.

00:32The potato.

00:33The gravy.

00:35I hate running out of gravy.

00:39Many pubs and restaurants around Britain serve a Sunday roast.

00:43In fact, it's the only item on the menu of the Clapton Country Club in London.

00:48Up to 300 portions are dished up here every Sunday.

00:53In London, in particular, you get a lot of people that move from outside of London.

00:59Whether it's from abroad, whether it's from other areas in Britain.

01:02And so they may not be going back to their mothers or grandmothers for Sunday dinner.

01:09So they will go out.

01:11So there is a big culture of that happening.

01:14This beloved roast is one of beef.

01:17Here's how to make a tasty one.

01:20First, the meat has to be marinated in rosemary, thyme and garlic.

01:26Now I'm going to roll the beef to keep the shape of the beef,

01:29so that it doesn't shrink and it doesn't go explode on one side.

01:33The meat is seared for 10 minutes on each side

01:36and then roasted at 125 degrees Celsius for another 45 minutes.

01:42Perhaps the most British part of the Sunday roast is actually the Yorkshire pudding.

01:47Everybody has a different recipe and method.

01:50The same amount of milk, same amount of whole eggs and same amount of plain flour.

01:57And just mix it in.

02:01But how does the Yorkshire pudding get its shape?

02:04The trick is lots of hot grease in the baking dish.

02:07That puffs up the batter.

02:09That goes for 20 minutes for 170 degrees.

02:13Yorkshire pudding is rather heavy.

02:15That used to be a way of avoiding too much expensive meat on the table.

02:19What does it taste like?

02:20A little bit stodgy, a bit doughy.

02:23And if you get it just right, the perfect level of crisp.

02:26Basically tastes like a fried bread.

02:29Doesn't taste like anything specifically.

02:33Almost like a crispy savoury pancake, but bigger and fluffier.

02:38Along with cabbage and various other root vegetables,

02:41the marinated and oven-baked potatoes are critical to the Sunday roast experience.

02:50You can never go wrong with crispy potatoes.

02:52Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside.

02:54You can't beat potatoes. Roast potatoes, you know.

02:59When and where did the history of the Sunday roast begin?

03:03Roast beef became popular in England under Henry VII during the 15th century.

03:08The king provided the yeoman guards at the Tower of London with weekly rations of beef,

03:13which gave rise to the nickname Beef Eaters.

03:16That it became a dish eaten on Sundays has to do with the church.

03:23You'd go to the church on Sunday morning and then you'd come back

03:26and it was almost like a family get-together,

03:30certainly to begin with, socializing after going to church.

03:37For those who love the Sunday roast but don't eat meat,

03:40vegetarian and even vegan options are available.

03:43The nut roast, for instance, or the vegan strudel beef wellington style.

03:48Inside we've got a mix of truffle, wild mushroom, leek, carrots, onion,

03:55cooked with thyme and rosemary and garlic.

03:58And we've got vegan cheese and vegan bread crumb to bind it.

04:02And we wrap it and we roll it with the pancake and a puff pastry.

04:07Meat or no, one question remains.

04:10Can a Sunday roast be served up on any other day of the week?

04:15I don't really think you can have a Sunday roast any other day.

04:18Part of the reason is you have the time on a Sunday.

04:22Absolutely not. That is no.

04:24A Sunday roast has got to be on a Sunday.

04:27Otherwise it's not a Sunday roast.

04:30Fortunately, a single portion is so rich and filling

04:33that it's easy to make do with less on the other weekdays.

04:37And next Sunday is always just around the corner.

Category

Transcript

Recommended