Paul's "Perfect" Roast Beef Dinner

For the potatoes, I cut them into about golfball sized pieces then parboil them for about 10 minutes--that is, keep them in a slow rolling boil. I take them out and let them cool while I prepare the roast. For the roast, I cut small slits in the top of the roast then push whole garlic cloves into the roast. I drizzle the roast with olive oil (regular--not extra virgin), slather on some dijon mustard, then salt and pepper it. (For an alternative that has been gaining favour with me, coat the roast with a blend of salt, pepper, roasted garlic and whole fennel). The key to cooking the roast is to cook it on 400 F for about twenty minutes, then turn it down to 225 F for the rest. This cooks the outside quickly and seals in the juices. I always use a meat thermometer as well; too many over-cooked roasts.

Put the potatoes in a small pan with about a 1 1/2 cm of regular olive oil and add to the oven when you turn the roast down to 225 (depending on the size of the roast of course, if the roast is small add the potatoes at the start of the roast cooking time). Turn the potatoes sporadically so they cook on all sides in the oil bath.

After the roast and potatoes are in, start the Yorkshire pudding. For 12 cupcake sized puddings mix together 175g white flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 medium eggs plus 1 egg yolk, 150 ml milk and 150 ml water. Whip extensively with mixer so that it's bubbly and smooth. Put it aside and leave at room temperature until the roast is ready.

Once the roast is ready, put it on a hot plate over the rear oven exhaust element and cover with foil. It's important for the meat to "relax" before eating. (Use tongs instead of a fork to handle the roast to keep the juices inside!) Crank the oven back up to 425 F and leave the potatoes inside to brown.

Get your cupcake pan and add about 1 tablespoon of regular olive oil (again NOT extra virgin) in each of the twelve cups and put into the oven for about 5 minutes after the oven has reached 425 F. Pull out the hot cupcake pan and start adding the pudding mixture. It should sizzle into the hot oil when added and evenly distribute the pudding mixture throughout all the cups. They should be about half full. Put back into oven and they should take about 25 minutes to rise and brown.

In the meantime, make your gravy. Use the residule juices and baked on scum from the roasting pan. Gently heat it on the element. Add about a 1/2 cup of butter (again, depending on how much gravy you want to make) and melt it gently in the pan. Add flour to the butter and juice mixture until it's pasty. Keep cooking and stirring this paste until it turns a light brown color. Start adding sodium reduced beef broth slowly to the mixture while whisking until the gravy reaches a desired consistency. Some red wine, fresh cracked pepper or sautéed mushrooms to the gravy would be a welcomed companion.

Once the gravy is ready, slice the meat and both the potatoes and pudding should be pretty much done. This recipe comes courtesy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at www.rivercottage.net, except the gravy which is courtesy of a friend of mine, Ray Yuen, and the roast preparation which is mine, though I see Emeril has now copied me!