CROWD PLEASERS
WORDS KATY SALTER
Even before circumstances made it a necessity, we were a nation of quickdinner dabblers. First, the ready-meal years (sales are now slightly in decline). Latterly, the stir-fry craze, 15-minute meals and recipe kits. Yet, what if the easiest dinners aren’t the ones that take the least time to cook? Meet the roasting-tin dinner: the cook’s new secret weapon.
The roasting tin isn’t just a vessel for Sunday’s chicken. It’s gaining popularity as a nifty tool for weeknight meals. The trend took off in 2017 with The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer. That book and a subsequent series have sold 250,000 copies to date (a fifth book, The Roasting Tin Around the World, is just out). “I was surprised and delighted it caught on so strongly,” says Iyer. “I thought it was a good idea, as it’s the ideal way to cook after a busy day, without multiple chopping boards, pots and panic. Luckily, lots of readers agreed…”
Roasting-tin meals feature grains, meat, fish, veg (not just roots), eggs, firm cheeses, tofu and other ingredients typically cooked on the hob. After prep, you’re free until the timer pings. “They’re the most hassle-free dinners you can make,” says food writer Diana Henry. Fellow food writer Sue Quinn agrees: “It’s the perfect solution for time-poor home cooks: less hands-on time, less washing up and gloriously flavourful food.”
In the US, the same trend is known as ‘sheet-pan dinners’ as our American friends prefer a shallow tray (sheet pan). US food writer Yasmin Fahr, author of Keeping It Simple, makes the case: “Sheet pans are better for most everyday cooking needs than a high-walled tin. They’re less expensive and take up less storage space.” Sheet-pan dinners are typically finished with herbs and chillies, yogurt, nuts or drizzles of tahini or chermoula. The colours and textures, plus the fact that everything is in one pan, make it easy to get a good photo: a recipe for social media success.