I love a Sunday roast. I think most people do. And it’s a split between the food itself, and the memories I think. There’s nostalgia wrapped in every Yorkshire pudding, every roast potato, every drop of gravy. Memories of family, of friends. Of sitting around a big table laughing (or fighting, I mean not every family is the same), squabbling over who likes what, or sneakily snaffling the last spud in the dish.
And of course if you eat out, there’s the bonus of not having to spend half the day in the kitchen, or being left with the washing up.
While in lockdown, it’s not always possible. I can’t get a chicken to roast, or a joint of beef (I’m pretty sure everyone else is indulging in comfort roast dinners too). I can’t see my family easily. And as we know going out to dinner is impossible.
But there is a bit of a halfway house. We can chat on Zoom or Skype and send each other silly videos and memes, and try to out-gif each other on WhatsApp, and, whilst I am still chicken-less, I can order in.
So I did.
Sam’s Chop House are offering a Sunday roast (meaty or veggie) plus accompaniments and pudding (yes pud too), for £18pp (minimum 2 portions). There are some optional extras, like horseradish cream, mash of the week and cream for your pudding, and they even do kids portions. You email your information, and it gets delivered the day before. You just have to store it in the fridge and it takes about 15 minutes to reheat. Easy peasy (don’t worry, there’s a very comprehensive list of instructions).
And they’re delivering all over Manchester.
Ours arrived on Saturday as expected, and though it was a tight fit (we got a supermarket order on Friday, so I could have timed that better), we squeezed it in the fridge.
Then an hour before we wanted to eat, I took everything out the fridge so it could come up to room temperature. So far, so good.
The most effort you’ll need to make is for the beef. It needs seasoning an sealing in a hot pan, before you pop it into the oven, along with the roasties. But everything else is either warmed gently on the hob, in the oven, or as with the veggies, thrown in the microwave.
So pour yourself a glass of wine, sip for ten minutes, then go warm up everything else. Yes, it’s bring your own bottle, sorry.
The result?
Tender pink beef, peppery swede and carrots, crisp roasties, big fat Yorkshire puds, everything you’d want from a Sam’s Sunday lunch, in your living room. You don’t even have to put your face on.
Did I mention the gravy?
There’s plenty to let soak into your Yorkies. Don’t worry. (But you can add extra to your order if you want to be absolutely, positively certain. You know, in case).
It works.
Oh and in case you’re wondering about pudding.
We added double cream to our order, and it was a fabulous end to a proper Sunday roast. Well that, and getting the husband to do the washing up, while I sipped wine on the sofa.
Bonus.
To order for yourself, visit Sam’s Chop House website, and complete the form. Deliveries take place on Saturday during the day, though no specific time is given, so please make sure you’re available to receive it (like we’re going anywhere). Enjoy!