Some of the saddest words in the English language are “roast chicken”.

Roast dinners are important to me. They are an important part of my culture, both English and Pakeha. A Sunday roast is a common occurrence even when Im the only one at the dining table. They are an important meal of my childhood, at my grandparents where a leg of hogget would be roasted on Sunday and the left overs would be consumed as cold cuts, shepherds pie and curry as the week proceeded or the smell wafting over the stone walls of our Berhampore backgardens , the mingling of savoury musk , rich and delicious.  I like roasts. But I don’t like chicken that much.

For me a roast is an opportunity to slowly turn a tough joint into something tender and delicious rather than a quick bake of an industrially farmed bird.

I do sometimes do a rare piece of prime beef quickly but more often I do lamb shoulder , or in this case beef brisket.

Here I take 2 1kg pieces of brisket, butterfly them out abit and tie them together with a stuffing in between.
The result is delicious, deeply savoury and melt in the mouth tender. Serve with whatever roast veg you fancy.

Stuffing
4 field mushrooms diced
1 onion diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
Splash of oil
2 handfull breadcrumbs
1 handfull parmesan
Salt pepper
1 small sprig rosemary chopped
1 tablespoon of thyme leaves picked

2x 1kg brisket
Handfull mirepoix
2 pints beef stock
Splash of oil

Heat oil in a frying pan. Saute onions and mushrooms untill onions start to go translucent, add garlic and herbs fry a little further.

Add herbs , breadcrumbs and parmesan. Season. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 200c

Butterfly cut the briskets so there is a cavity to stuff. You can see from the picture how.

Stuff each 1/2 , place together and tie them up with butchers string.

Heat oil in a dutch oven on the stovetop

Season the outside of the roast, then brown on all sides

Lift it out. Add mirepoix, place roast on top , add stock, place in oven and reduce temperature to 150c.

Roast for 4 hours with lid on. Then take lid off and increase heat to 180 to 200c and roast vegetables in a roasting dish and reduce stock.

Remove meat , strain juices/ stock mixture. This gravy likely wont even need thickening, just season and serve with thick slices of brisket, stuffing and roast veg.