Nothing says roast dinner like a heartily cooked piece of lamb on a bed of potatoes.
But while the mechanism for cooking meat is largely the same no matter what kitchen you’re in, the potatoes are open to interpretation.
Should they have their skins on? Be seasoned with rosemary?
Season two runner-up of Masterchef Australia Callum Hann has spoken to FEMAIL in an effort to settle the debate – and says we should all be ‘roughing’ our spuds.
Season two runner-up of Masterchef Australia Callum Hann has spoken to FEMAIL in an effort to settle the debate – and says we should all be ‘roughing’ our spuds
While the mechanism for cooking meat is largely the same no matter what kitchen you’re in, the potatoes are open to interpretation
‘For the best roast potatoes make sure you par boil them in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender,’ he explained.
‘Drain them well in a colander, then shake them around vigorously. Roughing the potatoes up in this way creates plenty of surface area for heat to penetrate and make them super crisp.
‘Toss the roughed-up potatoes in olive oil, then crisp up in an air fryer or roast in a 200C fan forced oven.’
Sounds simple enough but home cooks have a tendency to make mistakes in the kitchen. Callum understands, he used to be one (pictured with judge George Calombaris)
He also recommends using a big enough mixing bowl for each occasion and be efficient with your time at home
Sounds simple enough but home cooks have a tendency to make mistakes in the kitchen. Callum understands, he used to be one.
The number one error he sees is overcooking the meal.
‘Food continues to cook even after you take it off the heat – whether it’s a steak, a risotto or a fried egg. Take it off just before it’s ready, not exactly when it’s ready,’ he explained.
Chopping up your vegetables and ingredients on a surface that isn’t exactly stable will also have an impact on your meal.
‘No one wants to cut themselves, so invest in a large, heavy chopping board and use a non-slip mat underneath to stop it moving,’ he said.
‘I think 4-5 coffees a day has to be my guilty pleasure! I make a big batch of muesli every few weeks so usually start the day with a bowl along with yoghurt and fruit,’ he said
Another issue Callum has witnessed is under seasoning the food.
‘Not just with salt, but all flavoursome ingredients. Don’t be stingy with herbs, spices and aromatic ingredients.’
He also recommends using a big enough mixing bowl for each occasion and be efficient with your time at home.
Given he’s now an expert in the art of preparing meals, Callum shared what he’d typically eat in a day – and it’s quite a broad range.
Given he’s now an expert in the art of preparing meals, Callum shared what he’d typically eat in a day – and it’s quite a broad range
‘I think 4-5 coffees a day has to be my guilty pleasure! I make a big batch of muesli every few weeks so usually start the day with a bowl along with yoghurt and fruit,’ the Philips Kitchen Appliance Ambassador said.
‘Lunch is usually dinner leftover from last night – today I’ve got Thai chicken soup. Working on cooking classes means that dinner is often at 10pm, we’ve got braised lamb rump and roasted cauliflower and olives tonight.
‘On the weekend, I try to whip up a meal in bulk to have on hand for lunches and dinners when we don’t have class.
‘My go to is a soup or laksa I can throw in the Philips Deluxe All-in-One Cooker and in less than 20 minutes I can have meals ready for the next week.’
‘My go to is a soup or laksa I can throw in the Philips Deluxe All-in-One Cooker and in less than 20 minutes I can have meals ready for the next week,’ he said
But if you’re after something even quicker, Callum often whips up scrambled eggs with chilli and coriander as an easy, flavoursome meal you can whip up at any time of the day.
‘Food is such an important part of our lives, not just because it nourishes us but we use it as a vehicle to spend time with the ones we love and social occasions,’ he said of his desire to help home cooks.
‘If we need to eat 90,000 meals or so over our life time, we may as well get good at cooking them.’