Mary Berry's Sunday Roasts

Legendary Mary Berry shares her favourites for one of Britain’s great traditions – the Sunday lunch.

Roast chicken

a. Serves 6

b. Prep 10 mins Q Cook 1 hr 20 mins

c. 66p a portion

1 garlic bulb 

85g butter, softened

1.5kg whole chicken

3 rashers streaky bacon 

a small bunch fresh thyme 

5 bay leaves

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Remove the cloves of garlic from their skins and crush using a garlic press. Place in a small bowl with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

2 Put the chicken into a small roasting tin. Spread the garlic butter over the bird and then lay the bacon rashers over the top of the breast. Place the herbs in the cavity of the bird with the garlic skins. Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 1 hr 20 mins, basting from time to time in the buttery juices, until golden brown and cooked through. Chop the crispy bacon and scatter over the chicken. Serve with any juices.

To prepare ahead 

Cook up to a day ahead if serving cold.

Roast fillets of pork with prune & apple

a. Serves 6-8

b. Prep 15 mins Q Cook 1 hr 10 mins

c. £1.12 a portion

a knob of butter 

1 large onion, roughly chopped 

1 medium apple, peeled and chopped very finely 

3 good pork sausages, skinned 

50g ready-to-eat dried prunes, roughly chopped 

1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped 

2 x 450g pork fillets, trimmed 

8 slices Parma ham 

FOR THE GRAVY

1 tbsp flour 

150ml apple juice 

150ml stock