Tasty Sunday roast - the laid back way

Oct 3 2008 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

SOME people take pride in operating an “open house”. Not me. I positively loathe family and friends dropping in unannounced, particularly those who require lavish feeding and watering.

So it was with a feeling of impending doom that I answered the phone on Sunday morning to hear the dulcet tones of Mother instructing me to “just throw something in the oven darling!” because “Daddy and I thought we would drop in on the way past”.

“Fat chance,” I thought, before hitting the speed dial and booking Sunday Lunch for four at The Lovat.

Why go to the time, effort and expense of wrestling a roast beast into the Aga when someone more competent can do the job so much better? That’s my motto!

The Lovat is currently my top tip for Sunday Lunch. Not only is their beef and turkey sourced locally, but at £9.75 a pop, it’s great value...and arguably cheaper than doing it yourself. What’s more there’s no chopping, basting, or washing up for the lady of the house.

So it was with enormous contentment that I sunk into my chair at the 1747 restaurant and prepared to peruse the menu with a large gin and tonic.

In the end, I chose the roast breast of Perthshire turkey while Other Half opted for the Simon Howie roast Scottish sirloin of beef. Both were served with lashings of gravy, Yorkshire pudding, market vegetables and roast potatoes. Absolutely delicious.

After much faffing around, Mummy and Daddy body-swerved the Sunday Roast option in favour of the High Tea.

Slightly more expensive (at £10.25 per person and only served between 4 – 6pm) you get the choice of four main course options – in this case fresh breaded haddock, gammon steak (with egg or pineapple), homemade steak pie or cold Scottish salmon salad.

The steak pie and salmon salad were duly selected and served with chips, vegetables and tea or coffee with toast. Plus the oldies worked their way through an impressive selection of scones with cream and jam, plus homemade cakes.

Happy and well-fed we made our way home for a relaxing evening in front of the fire with the remote control (him) and the Daily Mail (me). Job done!