The Ultimate Chef Starter Guide - How to Nail a Classic Dish…

When it comes to food, experimental dishes only go so far – but mastering a classic? That takes true skill. We have picked out three of our favourite staples from our Didsbury restaurant menu and have provided you with our top tips to getting them just right at home…

The Sunday Roast

A staple dish that should exist in every cook’s repertoire, where timing is everything and quality produce is a must.

Before tackling this national treasure, ensure that you have:

The time to cook. It might sound obvious but roasting meats to perfection and nailing timing takes actually having the time to do it in the first place. Ensure that you have set aside (at least) the morning to prepare.

Sourced your meats from a high quality butchers – diners can tell the difference, trust us.

Invested in some sort of dripping to guarantee that your potatoes are crisped to perfection – a must-have in any roast.

Heated your oil before adding the batter to create your Yorkshire Pudding, or as we like to call it, the king of the plate.

The Steak dinner

A dish best served rare, but with so many options to choose from, it’s an easy one to get wrong – if you haven’t prepared, that is.

Ensure that you:

Cook your meat to your diner’s perfection. Medium, rare, well done or even blue – suss out your guests’ preferences before placing it in the pan when the damage can’t be undone…

Choose your weapons wisely. By weapons we mean a heavy bottom pan, steak knives for your guests and extra virgin olive oil to cook.

Sweat the small stuff and pay attention to the three s’s: salad, sauces and seasoning. Peppercorn, blue cheese or mushroom? Your guests will need something to dip into, they will need a garnish and they will, most certainly, need seasoning.

The Meringue Roulade 

Roll your way to sweet success before rolling your guests home after indulging in this classic dessert.

Here’s how to get it right the first time:

Slow down. Adding sugar too quickly to the mix can cause your meringue to crack and the innards to drip out. You ooze you lose on this one, I’m afraid.

Like your meringue chewy? Add vinegar to the mix to make it extra tough.

Not the prettiest of dishes, but a classic all the same – be sure to dress your pud with fresh fruit or a drizzle of chocolate for a fine finish.

So there we have it. Our top tips to crafting three classic dishes.

Next time you’re stuck for something to cook for your dinner guests, choose one of these classics found on the menu at our Didsbury restaurant that – if executed to perfection – will dazzle your diners.