I Made Florence Pugh's Favorite Sunday Dinner — And It's Absolutely Going Into My Recipe Rolodex
As a foodie and pop culture enthusiast, stumbling upon Florence Pugh's "Cooking With Flo" series was basically the best thing that ever happened to me.... like, ever.
Ok, I'm being a tad bit dramatic. Still, the series really is a gift for those who love pop culture and slightly chaotic but kinetic cooking energy from your favorite celebrity!
ICYMI, during the pandemic, Florence hopped on her Instagram and started posting stories of her cooking. From marmalade to butternut squash soup to the ever-controversial (for us Americans anyway) marmite and toast to homemade pasta, she showcased delicious, relatable home foods that you actually want to eat.
And one of those dishes is one I think of every time the temperatures drop and the leaves start to change color — a warm, scrumptious, straight-out-of-the-oven roast!
A few years back, Florence shared her roast chicken recipe, and it stuck with me. Once we entered fall and with Thanksgiving up ahead, I knew I wanted attempt this recipe.
This dish checked a lot of boxes for me. Warm, cozy, and savory, it's pretty much the only vibe and flavor profile that I think about these days. Plus, for those who aren't huge fan of turkey, this roast could be a perfect alternative.
Now, this recipe is part of a larger meal, where like Thanksgiving, the sides are kind of a big deal. So, for this dish, following Florence's meal guide, I also attempted her recipe for crispy potatoes, onion gravy, and Yorkshire pudding to accompany the roast. But please, feel free to take what you will from this compilation.
Fair warning: This is a whole-ass meal and while I cook often and love it, multi-tasking in the kitchen is something I'm always working on so bear with me. I'm going to be as mindful as possible and lay down the steps that worked for me.
Soooo... You ready? 🔥
Here are the ingredients:
• 1 chicken (Mine was about 6 lbs.)• 1/2 stick of room temperature butter• 1 bulb of garlic• 1 whole onion• 1 pack of rosemary• 1 pack of thyme• 1 lemon• 4 carrots• 5-6 red potatoes or 3 russet potatoes• 1 celery stalk• handful of cherry tomatoes• 2 cups of stock (Florence uses chicken)• 3 eggs• 125 g flour (or 1 cup)• 150 ml milk (about 2/3 cup)• Splash of red wine• Olive oil• Neutral oil that can handle high heat (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado works) • Salt and pepper
*Red wine will be used to splash into the onion gravy (Alternatives for red wine: red or white wine vinegar, grape or pomegranate juice, or you can omit. With all the flavors simmering together, I think it should turn out delicious no matter what!)
Here are the other kitchen materials you'll need:
• 1 roasting pan for the chicken (I used a baking sheet pan.)• 1 baking sheet pan for the potatoes• 1 cupcake/muffin pan for the Yorkshire pudding (I did not have one and used a small pyrex baking dish, which meant there would be no individual puffs but it fluffed up perfectly anyways, which...IMO, is really the whole point of Yorkshire pudding!)• 1 small sauce pan for the gravy
• 1 colander.
(This is a Yorkshire pudding, FYI.)
It's an egg and flour based pastry puff, sort of like a dinner roll that accompanies roast dinners.
Here we go! 🙂
1. Pre-heat oven to 465° F.
Note: We will lower it to 400° F when we put the chicken in.
(And yes, yikes, I need to clean my stovetop.)
2. Then we'll start with prepping the "Butter, Thyme, Garlic-y Smush-Smush," as per Florence — a garlic and herb compound that we will stuff and spread under the chicken skin.
Via Instagram: @florencepugh, Haein Jung
You'll mash together 1/2 stick of room temperature butter, 3-4 garlic cloves, 2-3 sprigs of chopped thyme, and a TSP of salt. It’ll form a paste, like the photo above.
*Florence adds chili oil to her smush-smush. I unfortunately did not have chili oil, but if you do, give it a try!
3. Next, we’ll peel and chop the carrots and ¾ of the onion and spread them across the roasting pan. Add salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. (We’ll need to save the ¼ of the onion for the onion gravy!)
Via Instagram: @florencepugh, Haein Jung
*Florence adds parsnips but I chose not to since I don't think I've ever had them before. You totally can, though! ‘Tis the beauty of cooking, you can readjust and refine to your liking.
4. Then, we’ll put on a pot of water for the potatoes. Don't forget to salt the water!
5. Now, to the most difficult portion of preparing this meal. Touching the raw, naked chicken.
We'll grab that "Butter, Thyme, Garlic-y Smush-Smush," and spread it underneath the chicken skin. You'll find that the skin above the chicken's crevice (its butt?), there is a layer that lifts and you’ll spread the mixture across. I also tried to get it on top of the drumsticks as well.
6. Then, we'll grab a lemon and poke a few holes in it. I cut the top and bottom off and kind of squished it to soften it and get it juicy. You'll then put the whole lemon into the chicken's crevice. Add a few sprigs of rosemary in there as well!
Poor chicken. I feel like I shouldn't be sharing this picture.
7. You’ll then salt and pepper the chicken, plus a drizzle of olive oil.
*Oops, Florence also adds a few garlic cloves to the pan. I forgot.
8. Finally, we'll be putting the chicken into the oven! By this time, the oven has most likely pre-heated. Turn it down to 400° F and put the chicken in!
The cooking time depends on the weight of the chicken. General rule of thumb is 15 to 20 minutes per pound. This meal came together in about an hour and a half.
9. Now that the chicken is in, let's get started on the potatoes! Peel and chop them into about quarter-sized chunks and put them into the boiling water. We'll be parboiling them for about 6-7 minutes. They'll cook further in the oven.
10. Grab that second sheet pan and pour about 1/4 cup of neutral oil onto it. It should be enough oil to coat the pan. Then you’ll put the tray back into the oven.
11. Once the potatoes are done parboiling, you'll (carefully) take the hot pan of oil out of the oven. Now, to give the potatoes a really nice crispy, craggly texture, you can try two options next. 1.) Drain and put the potatoes back into the pan. Grab two forks and crisscross them to create a fluffy texture. 2.) Drain and pour the potatoes onto a colander and shake them up before returning them to the pan.
Haein Jung
Both methods work in providing texture, but I think the colander method is quicker and maybe safer since the oil is very hot!
(I'm using a mix of sweet potatoes and potatoes, but... stick with potatoes, which we'll get into later. 🥲)
12. Next, we'll season the potatoes. I added salt and pepper, and following Florence, I also added a few garlic cloves with the skin on and a sprig of rosemary. Mix it all up carefully, and back into the oven it goes!
It takes about 35 - 45 min in the oven (but prepare to flip them halfway through, up ahead.)
13. Alright, next, it’s time for the onion gravy. We’ll need: 3-4 cloves of garlic, a quarter of an onion, 1 celery stalk, a handful of cherry tomatoes, and a sprig of thyme. Mince your alliums and veggies. I halved the cherry tomatoes. If you like heat, this is where you’ll be using your chilis! I opted to use red pepper flakes.
Around this mark, I think Florence pours herself a glass of red wine. So... I did as well. I've done a lot at this point! 🤣
14. Ok, back to the gravy. Now, we add a dash of olive oil to the saucepan, along with the minced ingredients. Salt and saute and get it soft and fragrant.
15. Then, we’ll add 2 cups of stock. I had vegetable bouillon so I added 2 cups of water and 1 TSP of the bouillon base.
Florence realized she ran out of veggie stock so she went the chicken bouillon route. Go with your preference!
16. As the gravy starts to simmer, Florence throws in a sprig of thyme and chopped tomatoes, so that's what I did too. Put a lid on the saucepan and let it cook.
17. While the gravy simmers, the chicken cooks, and the potatoes crisp, we’ll move on to the final portion of this meal. The Yorkshire pudding. If you're using a muffin pan, pour a dash of neutral oil into each compartment. If you’re using a baking tray or dish, pour about 3-4 TBSP (or enough to coat the bottom), and put it back into the oven.
18. We'll now mix 125 g flour (1 cup), 150 ml milk (2/3 cup), and ½ tsp salt in a mixing bowl. We'll then put that to the side for a moment and revert our attention back to the potatoes.
19. To ensure the potatoes' even and maximum crispiness take the potatoes out of the oven and flip them. If it's all going well, the potatoes' bottom should have developed a nice, golden, crunchy crust. Put the flipped potatoes back into the oven.
You see these crispy edges? (Ideally, it'd be even crispier though.)
I've also realized at this point, I shouldn't have used a baking dish. I highly suggest a sheet pan!
20. Now back to the Yorkshire pudding. We’ll take out the hot pan of oil, pour the batter into the pan, and put it back into the oven.
It bakes for about 20 to 25 minutes.
21. At this point, we probably have about 20-30 minutes left of oven time. I took this time to have another sip of wine and check back on the gravy. It's bubbling and simmering, wafting off a lovely, fragrant, herbaceous aroma. Now, Florence adds a splash of red wine here, so of course, I did too. I adjusted the seasoning, adding a bit more salt, cracked black pepper, and a tiny bit more of the bouillon.
Bloop.
Now we wait!
(More sips of wine.)
Drumroll.
Finally!
I was fascinated by how the Yorkshire pudding puffed up.
I also felt very proud of my very first roast chicken. I absolutely loved the way the carrots and onions caramelized.
Now here's my honest verdict:
The chicken: I'm sad to report it was a 7/10, but I think that’s because I under seasoned it. I've learned post-roast, according to this recipe, the salt to bird ratio is about 1 TBSP, and I definitely used less, and the cavity needs to be salted as well, which I didn't do 😢
The lemon flavor was sadly missing here as well. Maybe a squeeze over the whole chicken should help?
I've also read that brining the chicken, a method where you soak the poultry in a mixture of water, salt, and sugar for a few hours really helps bring out juiciness and inject flavor.
The potatoes: 7/10, sadly this is on me again. I baked the potato and sweet potato mixture in a baking dish and overcrowded them. This was a big mistake as it created more moisture and slowed down the crisping process. The potatoes did crisp more and the sweet potatoes ended up soggy.
I've learned that I'd rather using a baking sheet pan and stick with one starch since they also have different cooking and crisping times. I made crispy potatoes using this recipe another time and they were unbelievably delicious! Definitely recommend.
The onion gravy: 10/10 — I could have drank it as a soup! It provided the perfect salty, savory, but elevated sweep of flavor when poured over the meal. I do think while you don't HAVE to add a splash of wine, it did add a lil something something. And I'd probably go with chicken bouillon as it packs a more meaty, savory punch.
Yorkshire pudding: 10/10. I don’t know why Americans don’t eat this more often. It’s so light and fluffy and the perfect puffy vehicle for sopping up gravy. It also adds a textural element, as it isn't exactly soft like a dinner roll but kind of flaky. I actually ended up baking this again to have for breakfast.
Final thoughts: So, the chicken and potatoes didn't turn out as I'd hoped, but I had a great time putting together this meal. It's the kind of meal you can prep with friends and family, or on your own as a treat yourself meal. When I pulled all the heaping trays out of the oven, along with that beautiful golden roast, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I think if the dishes all worked out, it could've been 10s across the board.
Not the most aesthetically pleasing plate, but delicious and fulfilling nonetheless.
I loved putting this meal together. (And here's Flo's recipe video again, for easy reference!) As this was my first time making a roast, if you have any advice, please drop them below 🙏 And bon appétit! 🙂
