New-look chook is on the menu of this week’s delicious. on Sunday, in Stellar magazine. As a nation, we have long been obsessed with the classic roast chicken, but lately the dish has moved from commonplace to a centrepiece. Leading chefs and restaurateurs are promoting the idea of high-end chicken, through provenance, preparation and brine. In the quest for the perfect bird, they are also experimenting with dry rubs and investing in elaborate rotisseries. “We want to elevate the basic formula,” Melbourne chef Scott Pickett says.

In our weekly meal plan, chef Darren Robertson of Three Blue Ducks turns his attention to exceptional roast dinners. From pork belly with apples and pears to orange-glazed lamb, Robertson fires up the oven, barbecue and chargrill with inspiring ideas for every weeknight. Meanwhile, in his regular column, Matt Preston looks to the home cook’s other ally – the freezer – and shares his top 12 ingredients to store in the icebox. No longer a place to just stash peas and vodka, the freezer can be relied on for a quick meal or to help revive a lacklustre dish.

delicious. on Sunday also includes the latest news and reviews for each state on the eastern seaboard. In this week’s NSW paper, Anthony Huckstep dines at 12-Micron at Sydney’s Barangaroo. For the VIC edition, Megan Miller assesses Ms Elwood in Melbourne’s Elwood. In QLD, Anooska Tucker-Evans visits The Port Office Dining Room in Brisbane.

delicious. on Sunday appears in Stellar every weekend. Stellar is available in The Sunday Telegraph in New South Wales, the Sunday Herald Sun in Victoria, and The Sunday Mail in Queensland.

If you want to make it a Stellar Sunday, be sure to #makeitdelicious, too!