Richard Shayler: It’s as complicated and genius as a roast dinner …
A good roasting
I often wonder why this country is one of the only countries in the world that champions the roast dinner.
It’s got it all. Succulent meat oozing with rich thick gravy. Vegetables glazed with honey, syrup and garlic.
Potatoes marinated in goose fat then roasted until they reach their optimum level of crispiness. We even have our roasts with little puddings composed of pancake batter, which then become impromptu sponges to soak up that delicious viscous gravy.
In summary, the roast dinner is a truly British masterpiece. Much like Shakespeare, Blake and Britten, Brunel, Newton and Churchill. I believe the roast dinner has given just as much to society as these famous Brits have.
It’s not just the act of eating this glorious meal – it’s the ceremony too. It’s getting round your friend’s house all with a different ingredient. It’s arguing about how long to cook the meat for. It’s arguing about which meat to buy. It’s arguing about whether to make a vegetarian option. It’s about getting the ironing board out of the cupboard to use as a work surface because there is no more space in the kitchen. It’s the frantic rush to get every ingredient on at the right time to ensure they’re all cooked at the same time. It’s the ale. It’s the wine. It’s the waiting. And then of course it’s the sitting around the table, every chair in the house being used. And the eating!
This sense of unity and creative cohesion is what happens every single day with the Brighton Lights crew. We are all frantically rushing around contributing in different ways to ensure the finished product is cooked through and the juices run clear.
This week we’ve added another amazing edition to the set. We’ve had the letter ‘B’ designed in the same style as the B on the Brighton Pier. It looks great, and gives the set a whole new feel.
All our guests were commenting on how brilliant it looked. David Redinha, a film composer, said he’d never seen anything like it. Chef Orson Whitfield from the newly opened restaurant Semolina was seen trying to leave with the prop. Mark Chadwick from The Levellers said he’s going to write a new song about it whilst Nigel Swallow from North Laine Photography was also seen trying to leave with it. Madelaine Hunter from RISE charity said she’d tweet about it whilst John and Jasmine from The Burning of The Clocks festival said they’d like to feature it in their procession through Brighton. Air Guitar Championship organiser Colin Fulker was seen trying to air guitar with it and resident musicians for the week, Bentcousin, said they’d … actually they didn’t have much to say about it.
Anyway! Make sure you tune in, Wednesday to Saturday at 7pm on Freeview Channel 8, Virgin Media Channel 159 or live online www.thelatest.tv. As ever, you are all welcome to come be a part of our live audience – 6.30pm at the Latest Music Bar. You get a free drink and a whole night’s worth of free entertainment. Try not to be late, though – our floor manager, Sarah Chambers, has been known to give latecomers a real roasting on arrival!
Follow me: @latestrichard
