AUTUMN COOKING: ESSENTIAL COOKING TOOLS FOR ROASTS

With summer a distant memory, many home chefs’ minds will be turning to one thing: roasts. Roasts are great year-round, but they seem best suited to a cold and crisp autumn night. There’s no denying though, that they can take up a lot of time in preparation for both home chefs and professionals. 

Instead of missing out, making sure you have the best tools for the job can ease the process and yield better roasting results. Here are our top picks for tools that will make your next roasting session all the more enjoyable. 

1. THE ROASTING TIN

Having the right kind of tray for the meal at hand will hugely benefit your preparation experience.

If you’ve ever had to try and squeeze all of your veg into an undersized tin, you’ll know the pain of trying to use a baking tin that’s too small or without tall walls. An ample-sized roasting tin can give you the extra space you need to help all the flavours in the meal to mix whilst allowing everything inside the tray to evenly cook.

Making the switch might open up new opportunities for what you can do with your roasting tin, and can save you the time and effort of having to use multiple trays. A well-built tin can last you years and can make all the difference to efficiency for your next roast. 

2. THE PERFECT CARVING SET

Once your meat has been expertly roasted, you’ll want to start carving it. Although some opt to carve meat with a sharp knife, we recommend getting the expert tools for the job.

Using a knife can lead to a messy affair, and it’s always a shame to see a good piece of meat be imperfectly sliced. 

No matter the size of the joint you’re carving, or what the meat is, safety will also be an issue, and you will need some way to hold down what you’re cutting up. Carving knife sets allow you to firmly and securely hold down the meat whilst the purpose-built blade goes to work. 

Ensuring you have a sharp carving knife set will save you the time of having to pick apart areas of the meat by hand, providing you with better carving results while making the process safer and quicker. 

3. GOOD QUALITY CHOPPING BOARDS

In the final stage of your roast, a wooden carving board allows you to comfortably make your final cuts before serving your meal.

Whilst you should be using a wooden chopping board with your professional chef knives anyway, a wooden carving board offers more benefits when it comes to cutting meat.

Primarily, its ability to drain juices due to its rivets around the perimeter. This way, the board will allow you to get stuck into carving without worrying about the meat’s juice making unwanted spillages. Ideally, the carving board will have some heft to it and be large enough to accommodate a sizeable joint of meat. 

Katto’s oak carving board has a fine finish and is sturdily crafted, making it the perfect addition to your next roast. It’s generous size means it can be used a stage for even the biggest turkey.