• Remove any silver sinew from beef fillet to prevent shrinkage and toughening.

• Select a baking dish large enough to fit the roast; make sure the meat does not extend over the sides.

• A rack in a baking dish helps good circulation of heat around the meat.

• The meat should have reached room temperature before cooking.

• When tying a roast, wet the kitchen string first. As the string dries (from the heat of the oven) it will shrink, holding the meat firm.

• Before heating the oven, check that the oven racks are in position.

• Meat can be cooked in an oven bag to prevent spatter and retain moisture; however, roasting times may need to be reduced. Follow the instructions on oven bag packaging.

• Very large cuts of meat will need to be turned halfway through roasting.

• The best way to tell if a roast is done is to use a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the joint. Be careful not to touch any bone as this will give you an inaccurate reading. The reading should be 60°c for rare, 70°c for medium and 75°c for well-done.

• Rest the roast, covered in foil, for 10 to 15 minutes before carving, so that the juices "settle".

• Carve meat across the grain to ensure tenderness. While carving, hold meat with tongs rather than a fork to prevent juice loss. The best type of knife to use for carving is one with a straight edge, rather than a serrated edge.

• Before roasting a chicken, wash it well in cold water, especially inside the cavity. Pat dry inside and out with paper towelling.

• Do not freeze an uncooked, seasoned chicken. Chicken and seasoning can be frozen separately, then thawed before filling chicken with seasoning.

• To test if roast chicken is cooked, prick the thigh flesh where it meets the body with a metal skewer; if the juice that runs out is clear, it's cooked.

• Fill chicken cavity loosely with seasoning just before roasting; it will swell during cooking. Secure chicken cavity closed with toothpicks or small skewers. Any leftover seasoning can be moistened with a little stock and cooked in lightly oiled mini muffin pans, or formed into a roll and wrapped in lightly oiled aluminium foil. Bake the extra stuffing with the roast for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

• Tuck wing tips under the body of chicken; tie legs together with string to help chicken keep its shape during roasting.

• Baste a roast chicken or turkey only occasionally -frequent basting will result in a pale-coloured bird.

• If using a frozen turkey, allow up to three days to thaw in refrigerator.

• To thaw turkey, cut a small corner off the bag in which it is frozen, place turkey in dish, stand turkey on slight angle so liquid will drain out of bag as turkey defrosts. Discard the liquid from the dish as it accumulates.

• If keeping a cooked chicken overnight, remove any seasoning from the cavity and refrigerate separately.