Roasted Poussins, Artichokes and Baby New Potatoes.

A good Roast is usually not a lone thing to do. It means sharing a Meal, a Dinner. It can be lavish or simple but it does signify the extra step, like making a day count for someone, like the traditional Sunday Roast. For us we tend to go either for a nice piece of Pork or a whole Chicken. It depends on the time of the year mostly because if it is Christmas time it would be either the Beef Ribs or the good old Turkey. Of course during Easter it would be very much so a shoulder of Lamb or the leg of one. It does sound cruel but the matter of fact is that I am an omnivore. I did try to be a Vegetarian in my life but it did last three months only, I have to admit. Therefore Roasted Meat is on my plate not everyday days but on occasion.

 Autumn Roast Chicken. It comes on a bed of Butternut Squash and Onion slices. It is spiced with smoked Paprika, a little Chilli powder, chopped Garlic and dry Thyme. Seasoning of course crushed Black Perppercorn and Sea Salt comes with this Roast but also a little drizzle of Pine Honey all across for the glaze.

When it comes to Roasting, the Sunday Roast springs into my mind straight away. I can't help it. It is part of my upbringing. The Chicken , 'Le Poulet' was highly regarded. From history Henri the fourth of France wanted every household to be able to have Chicken upon their table on a Sunday. It became to be known or evolved as 'La Poule au Pot' which involves another method of cooking. However the main aim was to provide a family with food for a few days so not only the Sunday. Because if anyone could choose their favourite parts of a Chicken on the Sunday, hopefully the leftovers could bring in more meals for a few days. The Chicken carcass could also be used to make Soups, Broths or Stocks. Doing my own Stock most of the time, it is, I would say, a gift from the past which should not be lost.

Preparing a Stock from a Roast. If you are using a large piece of Meat, it is good to think forward therefore to know what to do with the Leftovers. Chicken Stock is rather easy to do, however it does take time to get all the flavours. Patience is key. But you can take a seat and let the pot simmer to deliciousness if you are able to do so. It can give you jars of Chicken Stock for many future Soups or Stews...

As a couple for us a Roast Chicken gives us plenty, not only for one night. During the Sunday Dinner, we do go for our favourite pieces. Mine is always a leg/thigh while my Partner goes for a Breast. Therefore we are left with a lot for the following days. The other Roasted Chicken Breast can be used to make Sandwiches the following day, or be part of a Chicken Salad. The Chicken Wings can make a decent BBQ sauce coated little Dinner on their own served with spiced Potato Wedges. Any part from a Roasted Chicken can be also turned into a creamy Chicken Soup, a Chicken and Vermicelli Broth, or a Chicken Ramen.

  Chicken Ramen which makes a very nice Supper.

One of my most liked Roasts to do is the Chicken stuffed with Lemons and Thyme. It uses classical flavours that go really well together in my point view. Which leads to the point that Stuffing can enhance a piece of Meat. I would say, it is more than meet the eyes when you are tucking in such a Roast. It can end up with that winning feeling, smile, filling...

Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken. The cavity is filled with Lemons, quartered, a bunch of Thyme, and crushed Garlic Cloves. It is a very rustic recipe to do but it makes a very satisfying Roast Dinner. 

Filling the cavity of the Bird gives flavours. You can also follow the seasons with your filling for your Roast Bird like during Christmas Time with the Turkey. The Stuffing can be served inside the Bird but also prepared outside it or both so everyone does get a fair shair of a good thing. Nowadays you can prepare the Stuffing in little balls, like Meatballs hence you can manage the portions better. But Stuffing and Roast can go hand in hand like a marriage made in heaven to have a feast which could be a 'get stuffed' time. 

One Christmas Turkey, picture bought from Envato. It is very nice. However I would not put Tomatoes around my Roast Festive Turkey anytime soon.

Roasting Birds depends on their sizes, obviously but also on how often do you cook them. During a year we don't roast Turkey very often to be honest. But on occasion a Turkey Drumstick is a nice cost effective choice for one or two people.

Roasted Turkey Drumstick with Baked Pears, sliced Oranges, Peppercorns and Sage. (Not my picture). I hope it could give you the inspiration to try this at home. I would add a little Pomegranate Molasses as well for the glazing, if not that Orange Blossoms Honey.

I will share to you a Memory, a souvenir. It was back in the days when I was a university student. Of course when you were from abroad, they would charge you through the nose and being French, it was like that for me so budget wise I was rather tight every month for a good while. However without the support of my parents, I managed to get my Bsc in Archaeological sciences and Anthropology from the University of East London. My support came from me handling multiple jobs: Nannying, Pizza making, Waitressing, looking after Pets when people would go on holiday, and teaching French. But I am no Wonder Woman. One day, and it was my birthday, 24 th of August, after paying everything, rent, bills and so on. I did have to open the piggy bank, the leftover penny jar to scrap myself a decent dinner for the night. I did take a seat and counted my pennies, one by one. It could feel like a bleak moment when you have to do that in your life but for me it was not. Every penny was a blessing of having a proper Birthday Dinner on my own. I still wanted to celebrate in some way despite it all, even alone for I was a Busy Bee.

The Piggy Bank which had to be repaired many time over the years. 

The result of my piggy bank was just short of ten quid by three pennies. It was the damn moment when you have to kill your pride and ask the Pizza Hut Manager where you do work to change your pennies for a Ten pound note but you are short a little. Heaven forbid. My pay was due for the following day hence I was a bit ashamed to fall short but I was honest about it. He took all the copper, didn't count them like I did at home and gave me the ten pound note. He told me to forget it all. Three pennies was nothing to him and that shit happens sometimes. But he did a little more he told his partner Tiina (The bridemaid of honour at my wedding) and some of my workmates that I did reach a dry out time.

Tiina from Finland is on the left. The pic was taken during one of our days out in Hampstead Heath. Picnics there are a must thing to enjoy on a good Summer day.

Now with my ten pound note in hand I went to the supermarket but bought mainly things to feed myself for the week: Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, tin button Mushrooms, a Basil Pesto and a Prosecco. But walking back home, in the car park of the supermarket, I found a Turkey Drumstick. Someone must have dropped it putting his or her shopping away in her car boot, I thought.  It was all nicely packaged and in date so safe to eat in my view. So there it was I had my Meat after all for my Birthday. But my friends as well for Tiina came, Daisy bringing more Prosecco, Emmanuel a waiter, and Nicky assistant Manager and daughter of the Footballer Pike of West Ham, unexpectedly. So I did have a Dinner Happy Birthday after all.

 A Turkey Drumstick is quite a large piece to deal with. I tend to slash the skin across it in diagonal lines then to spice rub the Drumstick with Paprika, Cumin, Coriander, Salt and Pepper and the optional Chilli flakes. Serve with spicy Potato Wedges, and a shredded sautéed Savoy Cabbage.

Passing from a big Bird to a much smaller Bird to Roast but staying on the memory lane path I must mention the Quail event on Christmas eve years ago. Of course I would not say that I was a tantrum teenager but I did have my own mind while being ever so studious. To be honest, I don't know what took me when my parents were talking about Turkey for Christmas. The cost was an issue, I think, and I came with the idea of let us give a try to another Bird to roast this year. My Pa looked at me and asked 'Which one?' in a rather blunt manner. I tried to think forward fast at that moment because I didn't know which Bird would be suitable for the family budget. But I did answer with: Quails. First of all I never tasted one at that point in time. But on that Christmas eve we did have two Quails each to enjoy. However my little Brother did cry after the Meal because he thought that we did eat baby Birds and not small Birds.

 As Quails are rather on a small size, they only do require a little amount of Roasting time. I would say without the wish bone between 10 and 15 minutes at gas mark 6. 20 minutes gives better results as for the skin: the golden effect, promoted to start with brushing the Quail with either Olive Oil or melted Butter. You can choose there a flavoured Olive Oil, like one enhanced with Garlic, or Truffles. The same goes for the melted Butter, it can have a hint of Garlic and Herbs like chopped Chives, Rosemary and Thyme. The trick is to master how to cook a Quail properly which is usually in a preheated Oven at high temperature then it will be fast and right.

Speaking about Roasting, there is something worth mentioning which is the Gravy, the Jus, or the Sauce to go with the Roast. It is an entire chapter/page altogether. There is a sense of expectation to see a Gravy boat along with the Roast Dinner or a rich and glossy Sauce at the very least. I would say it is an Art to do a Sauce or a Gravy that is just right for the Roast that you are about to serve. But I can say also one thing, I like it either Rustic or Velvety as long as it is deep and full of taste.

 When the Gravy Boat is out. It is a tradition that a Gravy, Sauce or Jus must be presented with a Roast. The matter of fact is if you did over cook the Meat then you have your salving grace in a rescue Sauce Boat... Therefore you will not end up in a Titanic situation of proportion.

As we eat most often white Roast Meat in this house, either Pork or Chicken, our Gravy of predilection is the Onion Gravy which happens to be my favourite one. However each Roast Meat calls almost for a different Gravy, Jus or Sauce. For Quails, it can be either a light Sauce made with Chicken Stock, White Wine, chopped Shallots, Lemon Zest, a tea spoon of Dijon Mustard and some White Grapes; or it could go the Red Wine way, more heavy, (with Duck Stock), with Red Grapes, Figs and Thyme. Another Sauce for the Bird is a creamy Mushrooms one with Wholegrain Mustard and a little White Port mixed with Chicken Stock. The essence of it all is to think about seasons with what can be classified as Game Birds.

Cooking/Roasting Game Birds are not that difficult but compared to a Chicken which we do much more often, it always needs some twicking and refinement. But the result will provide an impressive centre piece to carve at the table.

When we are talking about Quails ( which are sometimes farmed), Pheasants, Partridges and Wood Pigeons, of course the roasting time is affected by the size of the Bird in question. When it is larger it takes longer to cook and to not be bloody upon a plate. The Bird will also need resting after Roasting. Covering it with a Tea Towel will keep the Meat warmer for longer. That time can be used to reduce a Sauce or to make a perfect Gravy.

Roasted Partridge stuffed with Blackcurrants, Lemons and Sage, served with a Sherry and Shallot Gravy, Potato Roasties and Sherry braised Spinach. The Sage Leaves on the top are there to protect the skin to not burn black during Roasting. It also infuses the Partridge.

For all Game Birds, it is important to know if they have been shot hence they could have a pullet within them or if they have been farmed and did meet a different end apart from upon the table of course. Now, as I mentioned, the skin of a smaller Bird can get burnt if not covered. We do usually want the skin of a Golden Brown colour and if possible a little crispy but not bitterly burnt. First one needs to know that the skin cooks faster than the inside which is tricky. But there are  tips which did pass throughout the ages by many Chefs, Cooks, Mothers, and GrandMas. One of them is to do a fast and hot Roasting of the Bird first just to render the skin. Another tip is that before you do so, is to brush the Bird with either melted Butter or Oil, flavoured ones the better (Salted Butter, Sage, Garlic and Herbs). Then when the skin has that Golden colour, reduce the temperature of the Oven, but you can do the good old trick of covering up the skin of the Game Bird by using Herbs like Sage or even Wild Garlic. Another tip is to decorate the Game Bird with Bacon Rashers in a Herring Bone flooring manner on the top or a Lattice fashion. That extra layer provides not only a bit of oompth but also a little bit of fatty flavour which a Game Bird may lack. It also does allow you to complete the Roasting for the Bird to be fully cooked but to not be bloody.

The Bacon wrapping/covering method can be used with all sort of Meat to protect their outer layer. It works best with white Meat, Venison and Game. With that covering the inside Meat has the capacity to be rendered yet to stay tender.

There is also of course the good old Pot Roast way. My Grand Dad Raymond made a very good Lapin Chasseur (Hunter's Rabbit) which I was able to taste when I was about seventeen only and only once. Now the Chasseur's Sauce is very traditional in France but is always up to variations. Its creator was Philippe de Mornay who was famous for more than his sauces, he escaped the Saint Bartholomew's day massacre in 1572. A Catholic helped the Protestant de Mornay to flee to England. A de 'Mornay Sauce' is a Béchamel Sauce which does contain Cheese within it. It is traditionally use to do Mac & Cheese... So Philippe de Mornay's legacy in creating Sauces is pretty huge.

 A Casserole de Lapin Chasseur. It is usually done in a Cast Iron Pot in order to put it in the Oven. You can start it on the hob first then finish it in the Oven. It is a little like a Stew, you do let it do its Brew, its magic, and all you have to do is to keep a good eye on it from time to time to give it a stir with the magic wand of a wooden spoon. 

As I said from the 1500's to nowadays everything does evolve with the time. Even an epitaph carved within the stone can disolve with the crying rain to only be remembered within our personal memories... Therefore the way I do a Hunter's Sauce is very different but also instead of using Rabbit, I use Chicken to put it to Roast (Forgive the pun).

On the left is my Grand Dad Raymond Nicolas (RIP), on the right is my Bro. Back in the days.

My adapted Recipe Hunter's Chicken uses a Cast Iron Casserole as a recipient (round about 30 cm for 2 to 3 persons). Put it on the hob then unleash the Salted Butter, about 50g to 75g. Add a drop of Olive Oil or Rapeseed Oil for the Butter to not burn. Then give the 4 Chicken Thighs a good golden glowing skin to render them. In the meantime chop three Shallots, and three cloves of Garlic (Make sure they are peeled, for no one do enjoy the skin of a Garlic going through their teeth to get stuck there). Remove the Chicken from the pan and place the thighs on a plate in order for you to concentrate on the Sauce. Do not discard the residue from the bottom of the pan. Add instead a little more Oil in order to render your Shallots and Garlics. Don't let them burn. Then build everything up with a chopped Leek, a couple of Celery Sticks, chopped, and a chopped Carrot. Add either the dry White Wine or the Red Wine (to be different) or the Cognac or Brandy to be seen as traditional (you only need a little, not much at all to make it sing). It will deglaze your pan in order to build your Hunter's Sauce. Wait for about 2 to 3 minutes before adding your Beef or Chicken Stock, 500 ml (Go for Beef Stock if you went for the red option, or the Chicken if you went for the white Wine option). Then you can go the Spanish way which means getting some plumpy and juicy Tomatoes in: 400 g chopped ones will do with their Juice, Fresh, home growned or tinned. To get more flavour add two good table spoonfulls of Tomato Purée. 

The Hunter's Sauce is deep and rich. You can finish it with chopped Parsley but also Celery fronts if using.

At that moment you can adjust everything by putting in the Mushrooms of your choice. Whole, chopped or dried are the options. It is a little bit like Alice in Wonderland when she wonders which part of the Mushroom will make her bigger or smaller (My choice of Mushrooms upon the matter are either Portobello ones or also fresh Chestnut Button Mushrooms). The rest relies on the Art of Roasting therefore to place back the Chicken Thighs into the Casserole, to season the Roast Pot with Herbs, like a Bouquet Garni, and Black Peppercorn then to put it in the Oven. Then you will end up with a Hunter's Chicken Roast Pot.

The story/legend or myth behind the Hunter's Sauce is that coming back from a hunt a Chasseur/Hunter would pick up Mushrooms on his way home to cook the Game with. Hence the Sauce is usually, traditionally with Mushrooms. Nowadays they are lots of versions of the Chasseur Sauce. Some add Sour Cream with it to add thickness to it. To be honest this is an Autumnal kind of Sauce meant to be comforting the guts. A Pot Roast can do just that.

To speak about Roasting Birds, one Bird can classify either as a Game Bird and, or as a Farm Bird, this is the Duck. To be honest this is my favourite Bird to eat. I do like the fatiness of it. I rarely cook it though because my Man happens to dislike it for the same reason for being too rich. However Duck is perfect to add a little fruitiness to your repertoire. It balances well with the acidities of some Fruits. Everyone knows 'Le Canard à l'Orange' popularity. This is classical French Cuisine.

Duck à l'Orange.

But other Fruits can be successfully used with Roasted Duck in some shape or form like Cherries in a Port Sauce. Plums, Mandarins, Pomegranate, Bergamot, Lemons, Kumquats, Pears, Apples, but also Pineapples, they all can make good pairings with Roasted Duck Meat. The same goes for Spices, even strong ones like Chillies and Szechuan Pepper. As for Herbs, woody tasting Herbs do work well with Duck such as Rosemary and Thyme.  

Tropical Roasted Duck. It was rather an experiment which turned out very nicely. To Roast a Duck it is important to prick the skin around the Duck legs before you put it in the Oven. Depending on the size of the Duck, at gas mark 6, you are looking at 40 minutes per every kg of the Bird. Add 10 minutes on top of it to make sure it is fully and nicely done. This Duck was on a bed of chunky Pineapple, Spanish White Onion, Coconut, Black Peppercorn, Duck Stock flavoured with a little Pina Colada. It was served with Jasmine Rice. It was different but felt like a very summery Roast. 

When it comes to Roasting, especially smaller Birds, like Wood Pigeon, Quails or part of the Birds only, like the Legs, the Wings, the Breasts with the skin on, it can be helpful to render that skin first in a skillet or frying pan and then to finish the cooking by Roasting in the Oven. The result will be then more even but also keep the Meat tender and pink. Resting is still necessary to ensure that no blood is there. If there is a quick prick with a knife can tell you so. If the juices run clear or not. 

It is in fact a tell tale to know if you need a little more Roasting done or a flash in a Pan as per say to finish perfectly the cooking of the Meat. It is a trigger for adjustments.

Wood Pigeon Breast Salad with Baby Spinach, Lambs'Lettuce, Sorrel Leaves, Pine Nuts dressed with a Redcurrants and Port Sauce. It is important to keep a balance to have the Meat being dark pink to pink and tender but not bloody, but also to not have it over cooked grey, tough and dull.

Now Roasting does pose this problematic question which is a culinary equation: How large is the piece to Roast which could well be determining the timing of the cooking. To add to that is what type of Oven do you use, gas, gas fan, electric... Because every Oven does not behave the same with certain guide lines, for it can depend on their age, maintenance or even brand but also if you are used to that Oven or just your Oven. I would not know how to use a Tandoori Oven for exemple. I would need someone to train me, to show me the principle of it, then to practice with it. Therefore experience must be added to the equation. To get everything right is a balance of multiple factors which includes the variable ones. It can be receiving a phone call which affect the sense of timing, a Child which needs attention or a Pet that is demanding... or you, thinking than when all the Food is in the Oven, it will look after itself so you do go back to work on your desk, get busy with it and forget about the time the Roast should come out of the Oven. And all of a sudden you look at the clock, you have the moment of realisation and discover that shit happens... a burnt Roast.

So the culinary equation for a Roast could be W (the weight of M, the Meat) x T (the Time factor per kg) +  O (the Oven/Equipment factor) - or + E ( Experience with the Equipment in question and/or with the piece of Meat in question) divided by A (Attention to T, Time) = Good Roasting or Bad Roasting. The balance is all in the numbers.

A way to cut the time of a Roast is of course to go for a smaller cut of Meat or Bird. In this instance I will take the exemple of the Poussin also known as Coquelet in French, which is in fact a young Chicken. It is also often called Spring Chicken. A Poussin can feed from 1 to 2 persons. There is a method called to Spatchcock a Chicken. By removing (Cutting out) the central bone, the spine, in essence, you can then flatten the Bird on the Roasting Tray to cut the time it will have to spend in the Oven to Roast. Therefore that Roasting time will be under an hour by about 15 minutes.

Poussins, roasted, make a very nice centre piece as a Main. They are faster to cook as well than their elder counterpart the Chicken.

Roasting has been a method of Cooking since Prehistoric times then especially Spit Roasting came to the forefront because of it being recorded during the Medievial time mainly as part of glorious feasts for the well to do, mainly nobility, given on special occasions, to share with their Court. Hence the old saying 'to go the whole/all hog', it was a splashing out thing to do, to exhibit your wealth but also to secure your Courtiers and Courtisans at that time, their alliegiance. It was a bit like saying to a crowd that if I can feed you in that way, if you stick with me, you will go places above your stations and you will be fed. If it was common during that Medieval period it still remains in our psyche throughout later centuries that holding a feast, a banquet or a large Dinner Party show us to many in a state of privilege which we have the possibility to share with Family and Friends loyal or not.

If Spit Roasting can mean finally Food is coming, good Food, that we can have a happy moment, it is still distressing for some to see an entire Beast cooked that way, especially if you are Vegetarian or Veggan by principles. But I will say traditions do die hard. Why do some Vegetarians want their Meat substitutes to look like Meat rather than being a full Aubergine stuffed with Quinoa, a nice large Tomato stuffed with Rice, or a  nice slice of roasted Cauliflower? It is not necessary to process a Vegetable that much to make it look like a Sausage and to use so much additives in the the Food to make it look like Meat. Embrace the beauty of a Veg without deterioring it to oblivion. But I do think for some it is a transitional phase. It also depends how much of a purist you can be or become.  

If Spit Roasting could be done indoors in large banquet halls of castles, then in large kitchens such as the one in Hampton Court; nowadays it tends to be done outdoors either in Feasts or Festivals, Wedding Ceremony Banquets on lush lawns of Wedding venues... So Spit Roasting trends did change throughout the time.

A Spit Roaster can come from the most Camp site basic form in structure to the most solid and elaborate ones which are not portable, passing by the trading ones which goes from Market to Market but are ever so preficient.

I remember when I was a child, we used to go to the Market of Octeville on top of the hills surrounding Cherbourg. The entire area is now known as Cherbourg-Octeville. The Market there happened on the Weekend, mainly on the Sundays and there was a Farmer which was Spit Roasting regurlarly every Sunday on the Market streets, place. In a Child's eyes the Spit Roaster looked massive. This one was very high with about four to six turning rods full of Meat. On the bottom of it all you had the heat of Wood Charcoals (Mainly Pine and Rosemary) Roasting everything upwards. Like in Wales enjoying salted Marsh Lambs so do the Normans, they are a local Meat. In that Spitting Roast stall of that Market the best thing you could get was a shoulder of Lamb, either a Lamb or a Mutton which had been raised and grown on the salted fields and marshes of Normandy. It became a tradition. The Farmer had to take orders in demand to be ready on the Sunday for in front of his stall there was such a queue every week. But my belief is that Spit Roasting is an ancient skill, trade as well, which should not disappear. It is a heritage just like a heirloom is.

Normandy Marsh Muttons and Lambs going to graze the salted grass by the Mont Saint Michel.

Nowadays, if Spit Roasting is mainly done in the outside, the most convenient thing to do indoors is a simple Roast in an Oven which is an applience that most of us do have. But I can tell you that it is still a privilege to possess one. NatNat (Natalie) went to Peru on the late RIP Duke of Edinburgh scheme for the youths. Their aim, at that time or shall we say the mission for that year prior to 2010, was to build Ovens for the hard to reach people of the Andes Mountain range, the poor ones. She was about eighteen to twenty one at the time but it was a memorable exprerience for her to witness what wasn't a cocooned life. In my mind she deserves a Blue Peter Badge for building Ovens. Although her special thanks by the villagers in Peru for her efforts was celebrated with roasted Cuy... Like we usually do say: 'Rabbit tastes like Chicken' well Cuy tastes like Rabbit therefore Chicken according to Nat. And she was adament that she would not upset the locals she helped so much by not eating their special Dish.

Peruvian roasting of Cuy. This is not my pic. It belongs to GringesAbroad.com. I read somewhere a food critic saying that it felt like eating his own pet by eating Cuy.

An Oven is a luxury. We can take it for granted but it is not to be so: Point blank Period. Therefore having a Roasted Dish from one is pretty special. Count your blessings. I remember one day when one of my Christmas Gifts was a brand new Oven. It did arrive before the big day. I made the silly mistake to post the picture of it on Social Media. My own Sister became jealous about it, it was the same reaction she had about my Mother's new Sofa... It was something she couldn't afford at that moment in time. Hence we did get the grief full on.

 My Oven, I must confess it was a very nice present to do to a Foodie like me from my Man.

When it concerns Roasting in the environment of a Kitchen, small or not, the capacity of your Oven is important to determine obviously the size of the Meat you can cook within it. This is when it is nice but also helpful to have some knowledge about the Meat you are dealing with, in regards to the different cuts: Breasts, joints, legs, drumsticks, loins... With different Animals it is not so self explanatory, but you always can get the advice from a good and experienced Butcher or get yourself maps of the different parts within a specific Animal or use books or the internet or read the instruction of the packet if the piece of Meat has been bought from the supermarket.

Leg of Lamb ready to be roasted, prepared with Rosemary, Garlic, sliced Red Onions and Carrots. We tend to do either a Leg of Lamb, either a Shoulder of Lamb for Sunday Roasts around the Easter period.

I will say there one thing which ought to be mentioned: it is about certain factors which have to be considered. First is the availibility of Meat during a certain season of the year. This is a subject which touches husbandery in terms of cattle and poultry mainly but it does touches as well hunting which occurs mainly in Autumn. This in turn affects the avaibility of Venison, Game and Game Birds. Dare I say there is a season for every Meat which must respect the life cycle of the Animal in term of its reproduction and its ability to raise its youngs. Some hunting Stags and Deers up in Scotland can also tell you that it is a matter of controlling their population to a certain extent. It could be argued to be honest such as the theory of Malthus about population could be contested for it always can be interpreted in nefarious ways. This could implies cullings for Animals (for exemple the culling of Badgers in the UK up until 2025 will occur). Malthus theory has been used to cause fear mongering and also to spread racism.

Roasted Venison wrapped in Bacon. (Not my pic, it was purchased). Venison is peculiar to cook. Same as Roasted Duck or Beef it needs to be pink in the middle in order to remain tender therefore to not be overdone,  grey and chewy. However it is important that it hasn't have a speck of blood in sight. The just balance can be achieved by wrapping the Venison Roast in Bacon or by treating it like a Beef Wellington hence to wrap it with pastry and a layer of Mushroom duxelle.

Going back to my childhood, there was an event that did upset me. I am afraid I can't keep the recollection short. My Father saved a Dachshund in a fair (Foire de Lessay, Normandy). We called her Suzy, she became our family Dog. I say saved because she was the runt of a litter and the farmer who was selling the litter of Puppies at the fair told that if he couldn't get rid of her, he will drown her that evening. It was the eighties nonetheless it was cruel. My Father knowing that came back to the stand as the fair was over and everyone was packing including the farmer. Sure, he sold all of his Puppies but the little rant was still there. She could hardly stand on her paws poor little thing. So against the conscent of my Mother who didn't want any Dog after a bad experience with one  mongrel called Ketty who escaped and could never be found again, my Father asked for the price for the little Dachshund. At that time he got her literally for peanuts and he put her within his coat. My Mum was surely sighing at my Dad's impulse, saying that the Dog would better be clean otherwise she would be given away. Anyhow, when they came home, we three Children could only see what was brought back from the fair. It was unwrapped from a tartan blanket ( we always had one in the car, it came from Scotland where my Father went to work for a while to build Oil Rig for the North Sea) carefully by my Father. And we discovered the little Dog. It was an emotional moment to be sure which I will always remember.

Suzy and Me back in the days. She was a cool Dog. She had a good long life. The irony is she went fishing with my Father and with us to Gatteville near Barfleur, Normandy and she was an excellent swimmer but also she knew where the Crabs were. She would sit upon the rock they were underneath and barked. 100 per cent of the time my Dad would fetch either a King Crab (They look like Cromer Crabs but a little bigger), a Spider Crab (a little bit more rare) or either what we call an Onglette, a small Crab with blue colouring upon it (rarer) which is called the Crabe Bleu. 

Anyhow Suzy prooved herself to be very clean hence she was kept. My Mother decided that she like Dachshunds and decided she wanted another one, a pretty one, so we welcomed Uvalli within the family, a black and tan long hair Dachshound. She had a very sweet temperament. She came as a Puppy, she was more expensive than Suzy, much, much more, but even if she was walked often she couldn't be trained to be clean, therefore my Mum had to pick up her mess everyday wherever in the house. After about six months to a year, my Mum decided to give up the Dog to sheer exasperation to have to clean after her (My Mother is very OCD by the way, she would clean a drop of water in the sink thinking that it is dirty). Anyhow we, Children loved Uvalli so we were upset to see her go. My Dad found a nice family for her. He gave her to a friend who was into husbandry of a different kind: The man raised boars for the hunting season. A hunting little Dog like Uvalli was priceless for him to have. She could smell, get the scent of the Boars he raised and help with the hunting when they were released in the forest. It was a big moment for his hunting friends or clients. We did get to see Uvalli twice afterwards for the man did let us to see her to make sure she was nicely rehomed. Uvalli did set into her hunting life very well, was very well looked after, and had Puppies which were snatched by other hunters wanting her docility and qualities as a hunting Dog for Boars for their own Dogs they did get from Uvalli. I am a bit ambivalent upon the story of that little Dog still nowadays. 

 This is a very old picture of Uvalli and may be my only one, I may have another one, somewhere in my album which I could scan. Uvalli is the long hair dachshound on the left side, black and tan while Suzy is on the right side. They were getting on very well together, until they were seperated. In my mind I still wanted to keep her as a family dog rather than her becoming a hunter's pet. If you know what I mean, but my Mother always made situations difficult for humans and animals alike due to her OCD condition. She did upset the entire family on that one. We were sad to see Uvalli go elsewhere.

As for Boar, if I tasted some during my life I never cooked it in this house. But same it is preferable to have a part of it like a Leg, a Joint or a Loin for an entire Boar would not fit in an Oven. Here as well there is the question to be asked about hunting a population to extinction. Wild Boars have only a small population in the UK of less than 3000. Like Deers their population can grow rapidly and some can consider them a nuisance. You can find them mainly in the South of England wooded area. With the Norman conquest, the Normans which were avid hunters brought Boars with them, to populate the King's Forest like the New Forest and the Forests were under the restriction of Forest Laws in order to keep the wildlife there for the privilege of the nobility to hunt; anyone else was considered a poacher and risked their lives to hunt. Wild Boars can also be found in Scotland. 

 Roasted Boar, it is leaner than Pork, due to its wide outdoors rearing. (Not my pic). Now the colour of the Meat is darker than the one of Pork.  The taste, like the look of it, is like a cross between Beef and Pork. To cook it you can render the Joint or Leg in a skillet, or a pan which can go afterwards in the Oven. Slow cooking at low temperature is best to prevent loosing the tenderness of the Meat. Pot Roasting Boar also gives excellent results. There I will also mention that there are many nice recipes to try from countries like Spain, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, for the Boar is much more common there.

With my Man loving Pork, our Sunday Roast is very often a Pork Joint or a Pork Shoulder when it is not either Chicken, Beef or Lamb. When it comes to Pork, one thing to look for if you are like my Man is the level of fat and the density of the skin. He is so fond of getting its crackling right that he tried many different methods. He still doesn't know how to render a perfect crackling on his piece of Pork. For me, I don't think there is a true methodology upon doing Crackling. However my method is not fool proof. But the one I use is to pat dry the skin first. Score the skin and fat but not the flesh in either diamond shape or in diagonals. Rub the skin with Sea Salt and even Pepper (Szechuan one or crushed Black Peppercorns). Then I am going the way I feel, 'Bob is your uncle' kind of thing. I would brush the piece in front of me with either Olive Oil, Maple Syrup or Honey. I tend to cook the Meat in high temperature for there about half an hour then lower down the temperature to slow cook it. It all depends on the size, weight of the Meat you are dealing with and the ratio of the skin, fat and flesh. It is random because it is a judgement by eyesight mainly and by some practice over the years. 

Roast Pork with Apples, Red Onions and Sage. The recipe and pic is from Tesco recipe cards you can find occasionaly in their shopping centers. This one was worth a try. It is fully Autumnal at its heart. To accompany the Pork Roast, a Cider and Onion Gravy does not go amiss.

Slow roasting a piece of Pork goes a long way in terms of flavours. It can go tender in the middle and crispy on top. It is simply a delight. One part of the Pork I do enjoy the most is Belly of Pork. I have many recipes for it which I created and/or tried under my sleeve. The Belly of Pork is a part which is onctuous. In this house, it has the 'taste appeal' so much so that it is Roasted at least once a month on a  Sunday.

 Roasted and crackled Belly of Pork. Home made, my pic. One tip is to put your piece of Meat above your Veg to allow the juices to run upon the Veg in order to give them even more flavour. You do not loose anything in that manner. One thing I will say is that sometimes you can put the Veg at the same time of your Meat to be roasted. Part boiling does help a great deal for the Veg but not always... It is all about experimentation and going back to the drawing board some times to times. This Belly of Pork was done above: sliced and peeled small Potatoes, sliced Leeks and chopped Red Onions, crushed and peeled Garlic, and Brussel Sprouts leftover, halved. It was delish, completed with a Cider and Onion Gravy. It sparkles upon your tongue: Lush, Lush, Lush! 

Slices of Belly of Pork are also very convenient for a Mid-Week Dinner. Cover them with lashes of a Sauce of your choice, BBQ, Teriyaki, or a glaze like Honey or Maple Syrup. They do go well being served with Sweetcorn, Rice, Baby Potatoes, Mash (Sweet Potato, Carrot, Swede, Celeriac ones) but also a lot of other sides like Roasted Butternut Squash. The leftovers of a Pork Belly or Pork Belly Slices can be diced to create other Dishes. It is great in Soups, I am thinking of Ramen but also of the classic Pea and Ham Soup revisited. So there is a lot of scope for the humble Belly of Pork to not just be one Dinner but many: One Roast can lead to lots of Suppers.

A Belly of Pork can be bought as a large piece especially from a Farm supplier (for us it is Church Farm Ardeley, a Free range Farm in Hertfordshire), or in a Supermarket which provides it like Sainsbury's but mainly as slices.

Another part of a Pork which I do favour is the Pork Rib. Either barbecued, grilled or Roasted. I do not have the luxury of standing up for very long therefore Pork Ribs give me the proteins to carry on further because there are faster to cook. I do like roasting them because it allows me to have a seat before I have to turn them over to cook evenly. You can also go for the full rack to separate afterwards or just go 'the rib by rib' which allows you to place them upon the roasting tray the way you want to. Then it is just your choice to apply a Sauce, a Glaze, and Seasoning to them.

 Pork rack of Ribs from the Farm. It looks like a lot for two people but you can get three to four meals for two out of it. Roasting a Rack of Pork Ribs can also gives it lots of flavours by the bucket full. Just dress it up before the roasting: Full of spices and vibes. The key is to prepare a rub to your liking but also to plan what will you do with your leftovers Ribs afterwards. A Rub I do like is made with Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Sugar or Honey, Fennel Seeds, Thyme, Sea Salt and cracked Black Peppercorn. This Rub opens up the door for the Ribs to be reused later.

Rub your Ribs before they are getting Roasted! It is about indulging the Meat to meet your Palate full of taste. Point blank Period. When we are Roasting, like we spoke about imparting flavours via Stuffing, the same goes with a good Rub. Now there is lots of creativity which can go into a Rub. It depends onto the Meat you want to use but also the theme you have in mind: Spanish, Mexican, Texan, Hungarian, Italian, French, Australian, Canadian, Asian... The Rub penetrates the skin or/and the flesh. It maybe the work of Sugar chemistry, Acidic chemistry but it does give flavours at the end of the day. 

Spiced Rack of Pork Ribs. Roasted Ribs make an enjoyable Dinner. Mainly it is very much speaking of Summer. If you do have an outdoor Oven it is even better. The Rub can be made of a blend of BBQ Sauce, Jack Daniels, Cayenne Pepper and Maple Syrup with the addition of Tomato Purée. 

Another tradition in this Home is to Roast another kind of Ribs for Christmas: the Ribs of Beef. We usually get them from Alderley Farm. The Ribs of matured Beef are massive, two or three are enough for a couple. It does leave plenty of leftovers which can be delt with in many ways for the following days: Beef Stroganoff, Beef Stew and Dumplings, Beef Goulash... We do prefer Beef to Turkey during the Festive season. 

 Preparing the Ribs of Beef. It does make a large Festive Roast. It is upon a bed of large White sliced Onions, chopped Leeks, crushed Garlic and Rosemary sprigs from the Garden. The Beef will release its juices below while roasting. Therefore you can use the flavoured Onions, Rosemary, Garlics and Leeks to make a very decent Sauce full of flavours to accompany the Roasted Beef.  

A factor which is important with Meat especially for Beef is the fat level within it. We call it the marbling. Think of a slab of stone: Do you you prefer a slab of grey Concrete or a nice Marble slab? The comparison can apply to Beef. From the Fat level you can determine the level of cooking you will need to do to render a piece of Meat the way you want it exactly: It could be just like a Steak with wanting the result for it to be either, rare, medium rare, medium, done or crucified tough and grey like the bottom of your shoes, shoe leather. If you like rare, you like it red ( Louboutin shoes springs to mind, it is just a creative concept which is also symbolic, a rare/special individual will show their status by having the bottom of their shoes red, hence the Celebrity Status Quo).

Sirloin Beef Steaks with a decent amount of marbling.

Now with Beef, Wagyu is very prized for its marbling, hence its fat. However if there is a high price to it, there is still some contentions here about the wellfare of the Animals. Wagyu is made from four different Japanese Breeds of Beef Cattle which are intently being over fed. Like the French creates their Foie Gras, the process is questionable even if the end product is however delicious. I will make another comparison or just a parralel: it does happens to Human Beings too but it is of a cultural aspect just like it can be for the husbandry process taken with Beasts. It is an entire Anthropological matter worth an Essay, I will say. Think of wrestlers and boxers having to bulk up their weights in order to compete. Think of Sumos, American wrestlers or the Kings of France, the body mass can be assiocated with a sense of notoriety in a competitive world but also a display of wealth because it is a signal that the individual can eat in abundance. But it is not necessaraly one of health for according to a study the average longevity for a Sumo is sixty years. 

 A piece of Wagyu Beef. You can see the density of the marbling upon the Meat.

To return about our subject of Roasting but to still remain in the sub-subject of Beef, we do enjoy a good Roast Beef once in a while during the year in la Maison de Cordelia. If it is not a Festive period, it would be a Beef Tenderloin which we will go for or also a Topside. With a Tenderloin you have the ability to cut it into a nice Chateaubriand piece, this is the centre and most tender part. As a Sunday Roast, Beef goes a long way. It is better to slow cook it but not to dry it by overcooking it. The low temperatures are best in that matter to keep it beefy and a bit juicy (for my Oven, it is gas mark 3 to 4). For the time it depends of the piece of Meat you have to deal with. It does require a bit of mathematics, so many minutes for so many grammes to get it quite right.

Beef Brisket. There are multiple ways to go about tackling this piece of Beef. Slow Roasting it with a nice Rub is my favourite way to do it during the Summertime. However to Pot Roast it does create wonders especially in Winter.

Now I did mention about leftovers and they are important to consider because they do happen, therefore it is important to plan ahead. However leftovers are most welcomed for we can do Sandwiches with them. Cold Roasted Beef slices with Horseradish Sauce in a Sandwich is just nice. You can add Rocket Leaves, chopped Gherkins and a pinch of Paprika to make that Beef Sandwich sing to the rafters.

A Roast Beef Sandwich can become the pure indulgence you want it to be. 

So a Roast can go a long way. It didn't feed a family just for a Sunday back in the days. It was meant to also cover at least one more day or two or even three with a stretch. With a recession or even an inflation, we always have to be cautious about our purses: Every penny counts. It can always go from rag to riches and back again and back again: The world's circle. Therefore to have a little life experience is not necessarely a baggage, it can weigh more than a pound, but it can be very valuable in order to carry on.

Autumnal Roast Chicken with Sage Butter, Pears, Shallots and Butternut Squash. To give a seasonal twist to a Roast is easy to do and ever so satisfying.

From a Roast you can make a Stew, a Sandwich, a Salad, a Soup... It is a safety net of more Meals to come...