Sunday Kitchen: Esther’s exec chef Sean Connolly + roast beef and Yorkshire pudding recipe

Photo / Alex Robertson

What does Sunday in your kitchen look like?

It's a time for relaxation and celebration, and bringing the family together. It's not easy constructing a Sunday roast – it has more moves than John Travolta when you're bringing in all the different elements, especially if you're having a few different vegetables. It's a lot of work but it's a lot of fun. Usually I take responsibility while my wife does the gardening, and then we sit down as a family – any friends or orphans always welcome. There's always more than enough food to go around.

Why have you chosen this recipe?

In the true tradition of Yorkshire people and Sundays – it had to be a roast beef with Yorkshire puddings. Roast beef, Yorkies and strawberries and cream for dessert - they all go together perfectly and you can’t go past it.

Gravy is the glue that brings our family together and I see Yorkshire puddings as a gravy catcher – they’re not just a carbohydrate that fills you up. I call them Yorkshire souffles. They’re fabulous, they rise high, they’re beautiful. If I can make them as big as my head, I will!

Roast rib of beef with Yorkshire puddings

Serves 4-5

1 x 3-bone rib of beef (approx. 2 kg)

50ml extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp salt flakes, 4 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped, finely chopped, 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground Yorkies 200ml milk, 3 eggs, 120g flour, 3g salt, grapeseed oil

1.Remove the beef from the fridge 2-3 hours before cooking, to allow it to come to room temperature.

2. Place the salt and thyme leaves into a mortar and pestle and pound to make a rough thyme salt. Rub the oil over the rib and then sprinkle evenly with the thyme salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 220C. While the oven is heating take a large heavy-based frying pan and heat to hot. Quickly seal each side of the rib in the pan and start to develop a nice crust.

4. Place the sealed rib into a roasting pan - important note: bones side down - and cook for 20 mins at 220C. Then turn the heat to 150C and bake for 30 mins/kg if you like medium rare or 40 mins/kg if you prefer medium.

5. To make the Yorkies: Mix the milk and eggs with hand blender. Sift in the flour and salt. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug. Rest for at least 1 hour.

6. Once the rib is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 30 mins in a warm place covered in foil (shiny side in). The internal temperature should be 50C for rare, 54C for med/rare and 58C for med. The temp will rise another 5 degrees while it rests.

7. Heat the oven to 180C and place a Yorkie/muffin tin inside to heat up, approx. 5 mins. Next pour in enough grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of each hole in the tin and place back in the oven to heat. (It only needs to be 2-3mm deep, not too much)

8. After 5 more mins the oil will be hot. Open the oven and pour the mix into each mould to approx. ½ way up. Cook for 4 mins at half fan and then 14 mins full fan. Remove the tray from the oven and tip the Yorkies out onto a cooling rack set over a baking tray.

9. To serve, return the meat to the oven for a few minutes to warm through. Remove, cut the meat away from the bone into thick slices and serve with the Yorkshire puddings.

Photo / Alex Robertson