You’ve done your roast dinner all wrong! Expert reveals the best tips to elevate your cooking – including seasoning lamb with marmite and why you shouldn’t bother peeling potatoes

There’s nothing like spring weather to bring the whole family together for a seasonal roast.

Longer days and sunnier skies also mean it’s time to enjoy timely flavors like lamb and fragrant fresh herbs.

But food and flavor expert Matt Webster of Seasoned Pioneers warned that it’s easy to undercook your roast by ignoring simple rules along the way.

He’s shared six top tips for small steps you can take along the way that will elevate your plate — and have everyone at the table begging for seconds.

Some may seem counterintuitive – like skipping rosemary seasoning for lamb or not peeling your potatoes – while others provide insight into how to use ingredients you might not have thought about, such as marmite.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at how to ensure your roast is a hit with the family…

Do not peel your potatoes

“To save a lot of prep time in the kitchen, don’t peel the potatoes before they boil,” explained Matt.

‘Just make a small cut all the way around the potato, then cook as normal.

‘Once cooked, the skin will just slide off the potato, ready for roasting.

‘For an extra hack, let your fluffed-up spuds cool before dropping them into hot oil for the crispiest finish.’

Step away from the rosemary

The food expert who, with lamb as the traditional choice for spring, ‘typically goes for completely obvious spices like rosemary’.

However, he stressed that there are more fun ways to raise your cut.

“While there’s nothing wrong with keeping it classic, the best trick to impressing your guests is to go wild with your lamb flavors to create a real showstopper,” he explained.

‘Marmite is a bold flavor that works really well with lamb, or similarly Moroccan spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg can bring the dish to life.

‘Try marinating a leg of lamb in an African Ras-el-Hanout spice blend before slow cooking on Easter Sunday for a perfect roast, every time.’

Throw your spices on the meat

It’s not just the ingredients you use – but also what you do with them.

“When seasoning food, most people will use their fingers to sprinkle spices over the food, but this leads to some parts with heavier spices and others with very little,” said Matt.

‘Instead, you’ll either rub the seasoning all over your meat, or use your wrist to “throw” the seasoning all the way so it glides evenly across the food.’

Grate your garlic

‘For anyone who chooses garlic as a key ingredient – use a cheese grater to mince the garlic,’ the foodie revealed.

‘As we all know, chopping loads of garlic can be quite time consuming.

“So instead, just mince the garlic with a grater and it comes out as a perfect paste, ideal for rubbing on meat or vegetables.”

One pot wonder

Matt said timing is one of the hardest elements to nail when it comes to putting together a roast.

But he suggested a simple hack — just lay it all out on trays and roast it all together.

“The only ‘work’ you have to do is think about the ingredients ahead of time so everything cooks at the same speed,” he said.

‘But you can also change the timings by the way you chop everything, so cut things with a shorter cooking time into larger chunks, with foods that take longer to cook into smaller chunks.

‘It saves hours in the kitchen, saves on washing up and tastes just as good.’

It’s all gravy

“For the sauce, use your water from cooked vegetables or potatoes and use this for the sauce,” said the expert.

‘The starchy water acts as a quick vegetable stock, making the perfect base for a lovely thick gravy.’