5 Ultimate Christmas Roasts
Roasts serve large numbers of people making it ideal for a wholesome family and festive meal. The recipes here will guarantee that there won’t be even a morsel left on their plates!
Ingredients
- 2 kg chicken
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
Stuffing
- 25 gm butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 100 gm breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, sage, tarragon)
- 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and fresh pepper
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 300 chicken stock
- Juices from the roast
- 150 ml white wine
Herbs and lemon wedges to garnish
Method
- Preheat oven to 220 Celsius.
- For the stuffing heat butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs, herbs, egg and seasoning.
- Mix well to bind.
- Stuff half of the stuffing and lime into the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together.
- Place remaining stuffing in a small buttered dish and cook for the last 30 minutes of the cooking time.
- Place the chicken on the rack of a roasting tin, breast side down.
- Pour about 250 ml of water under the rack. This keeps the bird moist and will collect the juices for the stock. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the oven and turn it breast side up. Season and brush on the remaining olive oil.
- Roast for a further 1 and ½ hours, basting the chicken every 20 minutes with the juices.
- It is ready when you insert a skewer and the juices run clear
- Tip the juices from the cavity and cover with foil for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine water and flour before adding it to the juices. Add the stock and wine and bring to a boil. Stir till thick and smooth. Season and serve with the chicken.
- Garnish chicken with herbs and lemon wedges.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 onion, quartered
- Rosemary sprigs
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with the onion and rosemary.
- Place on a roasting tin and roast for 2 and a ½ hours or until the juices from the chicken run clear.
- Size will determine the cook time of the chicken.
Ingredients
- 4-kilo turkey (if you need only a 2-kilo turkey, halve these ingredients)
- 1 sprig sage.
- 12 strips of streaky bacon
- Cloves of one bulb of garlic
- 4 onions
- 2 sticks celery
- One cup breadcrumbs
- 300 gm pork mince
- Zest of 1 lime
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper
- 2 peeled carrots
- 1 orange
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon of flour
- 1 liter of chicken stock
Method
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees centigrade.
- Sauté 6 bacon rashers in olive oil and sage.
- Peel and chop 2 cloves of garlic and onion.
- Add the garlic, celery and onion to the bacon and fry till soft and golden brown.
- Take off heat and add breadcrumbs.
- Add chopped apricots to the cooled mixture.
- Add pork, lime zest, nutmeg and egg.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Slice remaining bacon in half and slice 1 clove of garlic. Roll up the bacon with rosemary and garlic slivers in the center.
- Stab the turkey 6 times on each side.
- Push the rolls into the holes.
- Carefully lift the skin, without making holes, at the neck end and spoon in the stiffing.
- Microwave the orange and stuff it into the cavity.
- Place turkey on roasting tin and season and rub olive oil on the surface.
- Add carrots, onions and garlic to the sides.
- Cover the turkey with tin foil and place in oven at 180 degrees centigrade and roast till juices from a cut on the thigh are clear.
- Remove foil and roast for remaining 45 minutes till the bird is brown.
- Place turkey on a foil-covered board and loosely cover to rest for at least 1 hour.
- Make the stock with the juices from the turkey.
- Follow the above procedure.
- Substitute the stuffing under the skin with butter, garlic and parsley.
- Follow the chicken or turkey recipes
- Substitute the stuffing with cranberry stuffing.
- Mix mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, cranberries, liver, garlic and salt and pepper.