This technique concerns cooking in the oven at high temperatures without the addition of liquid.

Foods suitable for roasting:

• Meat: Mainly large, tender cuts, e.g., leg of lamb, beef sirloin, whole chicken.
• Fish: Mainly whole large fish or fillets.
• Seafood
• Vegetables: whole or cut

The sauce which accompanies oven roasts must be prepared from the liquid left in the pan after cooking. If no liquid is left, you can de-glaze the hot pan by using a liquid of our choice, such as wine or stock, so as to take advantage of the flavors which have accumulated from the condensed food juices during cooking. You can prepare the sauce for your oven roast using this tasty stock.

View the process step by step by clicking on the arrow on the right
 

1. • Preheat the oven.

   Recipes usually suggest temperatures based on a static oven. If you use a fan-assisted oven, temperatures must be adapted downwards. If, for example, the recipe suggests roasting at 200°C, you should reduce the temperature by 20°C.

    

   • Season with salt.

    

   You could, at this stage, have also marinated the food.

   

2. Spread with olive oil

   

3. Brown the food at a high temperature in the oven or in a frying pan (mainly for meat).

   It is good practice to place the food on a rack in the baking pan or on large pieces of vegetables, such as carrot, onion, celery, etc.

   

4. Reduce the temperature (to around 140°C) and cook for as long as necessary.

   The best way to evaluate the progression of cooking in the oven is by using a special thermometer.

   During roasting you can baste the food with the cooking juices, a marinade or a flavored butter.

   

5. Allow the food to ‘rest’ if necessary (for large cuts of meat), i.e., leave aside for a few minutes before carving.

   

6. Carve and serve.