How to cook a roast in summer

Not all rituals are seasonal – some are too sacred to give up, no matter the weather. The Sunday roast is one of them. It isn’t just about the food – it’s the act of making something slowly, with intention, for no reason other than it’s Sunday.

Of sitting down at a table that’s been properly laid. Of pausing long enough to notice how good everything smells. But as soon as summer arrives – properly arrives, not just the odd blue-sky teaser – the idea of slaving over a bubbling roasting tin and ladling thick gravy starts to feel… off. The appetite’s still there, but the format needs rethinking.

This week’s Sunday Club is our answer to that tension: how do you still have a roast when the weather is finally nice? How do you keep the comfort and ceremony, but make it feel like something you’d eat barefoot, with the windows open and a cold glass of something within reach?

Welcome to Sunday Club, by the way – if you’re new here. It’s a weekly series dedicated to carving out time to cook something a little special, just for the sake of it. Not for work. Not for content. Just for joy. Sometimes we lean into comfort, like the crispy duck with pickled cherries and dauphinoise we made in week one. Other times, we keep it light – last week’s primavera lasagne was a soft, green ode to the end of spring. But it’s always about stepping out of the noise of the week and into something slower.

And if you sign up to the IndyEats newsletter, which lands every Saturday at 7am, you’ll get the recipe a day early – ready to shop, prep and cook without stress.

This week, we’ve built a roast out of the best June has to offer. At the centre of the table: a whole roasted trout, stuffed with soft herbs and lemon, roasted quickly until the skin is blistered and the flesh falls away in perfect, glistening flakes. It’s light, elegant, and somehow still feels like a treat.

Jersey Royals – the ultimate summer stand-in for roast potatoes – are tossed with herb butter and served warm. And instead of steamy greens or sticky roots, we’ve gone bright and raw: a salad of peas, broad beans and watercress, sharp with lemon and good olive oil.

No gravy, obviously, that would be weird, but we’ve included a sharp horseradish creme fraiche for a hit of richness and contrast – something to drag your forkful of trout and potato through.

Altogether, it’s familiar but lifted. A roast, but rewritten in the language of long days and open windows. You can eat it inside with candles, or outside in the sun. It doesn’t really matter. The important bit – the choosing, the cooking, the sitting down and being nowhere else – stays the same.

And that’s what Sunday Club is about. Not just the food, but the pause. The intention. The togetherness. The small act of devotion in an otherwise noisy week. So this Sunday, we roast. Just… lightly.

Whole roasted trout

Serves: 2-3 generously

Ingredients:

1 whole trout (600–800g), gutted and cleaned

1 lemon, sliced

A few sprigs each of parsley, dill and tarragon (or soft herbs of choice)

2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Optional: a splash of white wine or vermouth

Method:

Jersey Royals with herb butter

Ingredients:

500g Jersey Royal new potatoes

30g butter

A handful of chopped soft herbs (chives, parsley, dill, mint)

Salt and pepper

Method:

Pea, broad bean and watercress salad

Ingredients:

100g peas (fresh or frozen)

100g broad beans (fresh or frozen)

1 small bunch watercress, trimmed

A few radishes, thinly sliced (optional)

½ small fennel bulb, shaved (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

Horseradish creme fraiche

Ingredients:

2 heaped tbsp creme fraiche

1 tsp horseradish (from a jar or freshly grated)

Squeeze of lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Method:Mix everything together in a small bowl. Adjust to taste – it should be cool, sharp and creamy.

To serve

Plate the fish whole and flake at the table. Pile on the potatoes, spoon over the salad, pass the sauce. Pour something cold and bright. Eat slowly.

Drink pairing: If you’re pouring a drink, make it one that matches the mood: crisp and clean, with just enough backbone to stand up to buttery potatoes and trout. A chilled Albariño is perfect – all citrus, salt and sea breeze – or go for a glass of pale Provençal rosé if you’re leaning into the sunshine.

A white vermouth and tonic is a smart, gently bitter alternative that pairs beautifully with herbs and greens. Even a cucumber and elderflower spritz, if you’re keeping things soft, will do the job just as nicely.