You’ve been preparing your roast dinner wrong! An expert reveals top tips to improve 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 to enjoy a seasonal barbecue.

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

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

She’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 asking for more.

Some may seem counterintuitive, like leaving out rosemary seasoning for lamb or not peeling potatoes, while others offer ideas on how to use ingredients you may not have thought of, like marmite.

Here, FEMAIL looks at how to ensure your barbecue is a hit with the family…

Don’t peel your potatoes

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

‘Simply make a small cut around the potato and then cook as usual.

‘Once boiled, the skin will come off the potato and will be ready to roast.

“For an extra trick, let the fluffy potatoes cool before placing them in hot oil for a crispier finish.”

Stay away from rosemary

The food expert says that since lamb is the traditional choice for spring, “people tend to opt for fairly obvious condiments like rosemary.”

However, he stressed that there are more fun ways to improve the cut.

“While there’s nothing wrong with keeping it classic, the best trick to wow your guests is to go crazy with your lamb aromas to create a real spectacle,” he explained.

‘Marmite is a bold flavor that pairs very well with lamb or, equally, Moroccan spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg can liven up the dish.

“Try marinating a leg of lamb in a Ras-el-Hanout African spice blend before slow-cooking it on Easter Sunday for perfect roasting every time.”

Add your seasoning to the meat.

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

“When seasoning food, most people use their fingers to sprinkle seasoning over the food, but this leads to some parts having more seasoning and others having too little,” Matt said.

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

Grate your garlic

“Whoever chooses garlic as a key ingredient, use a cheese grater to chop it,” the enthusiast revealed.

«As we all know, chopping a lot of garlic can take a long time.

“So instead, just mince the garlic with a grater and it will come out as a perfect paste, ideal for dipping into meat or vegetables.”

A marvel

Matt said timing is one of the most difficult elements to nail down when it comes to preparing a barbecue.

But he suggested a simple trick: just layer everything on trays and roast it all together.

‘The only ‘work’ you will have to do is think about the ingredients first so that everything cooks at a similar pace,’ he said.

‘But you can also change the times depending on how you chop everything, so cut things with shorter cooking times into larger pieces, and foods that take longer to cook into smaller pieces.

“It saves hours in the kitchen, it saves washing up and it tastes just as good.”

It’s all sauce

“For the sauce, use the water from the boiled vegetables or potatoes and use it for the sauce,” said the expert.

“Starchy water acts as a quick vegetable broth, making it the perfect base for a delicious thick sauce.”