TIP: Making breadcrumbs is a great use for stale bread.
Turkey & Sage Sausage Rolls
MAKES 25, PREP 30 mins, COOK 30 mins
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g turkey mince
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup grated tasty cheese
• 1 tbsp cranberry sauce, plus extra to serve
• 2 tsp ground sage
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, 3-5 mins until onion is softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool. Add turkey, breadcrumbs, cheese, cranberry sauce, sage and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Divide into 5 even portions.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
3 Cut each pastry sheet in half to give 6 rectangles. Set aside one rectangle for decorations. Spread one portion (about ½ cup) turkey mixture along one long edge on each of the remaining rectangles. Brush opposite edges lightly with egg. Roll up to enclose filling. Cut each roll into 5 pieces.
4 Place rolls, seam-side down, on prepared trays. Cut shapes from reserved pastry with a 2cm star cutter. Place one shape on each roll. Brush rolls with egg. Bake 25 mins, or until golden brown.
5 Serve rolls with extra sauce.
TIP: This festive gremolata would also be great served with turkey, pork or ham.
Roast Chicken with Cranberry Gremolata
SERVES 6, PREP 30 mins, COOK 1 hour 30 mins
• 2kg whole chicken
• 1 small head garlic, halved
• 1 small lemon, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• Steamed carrots and broccolini, gravy, to serve
GREMOLATA
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds, finely chopped
• Finely shredded rind and juice from 1 lemon
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Place chicken in a large roasting pan and pat dry with paper towel. Place garlic and lemon in cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Rub combined oil and paprika all over chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Bake 15 mins. Reduce temperature to 180°C. Bake a further 1 hour 15 mins or until juices run clear when pierced between drumstick and body, basting with pan juices twice during cooking time. Remove from oven. Rest, uncovered, 10 mins.
3 GREMOLATA Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season.
4 Transfer chicken to a serving plate. Scatter over some gremolata. Serve with vegetables, gravy and remaining gremolata.
TIP: Refrigerating pork uncovered dries out rind for crispy crackling.
Crispy Pork Belly with Mango Salad
SERVES 6, PREP 30 mins + overnight refrigeration, COOK 1 hour 30 mins
• 1.5kg piece boneless pork belly
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 large onion, thickly sliced, skin on
MANGO SALAD
• 2 continental cucumber, halved, seeds removed, shredded
• 1 mango, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled, shredded
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
• 1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• fried shallots, to serve (optional)
1 Place pork, rind-side up, on a baking paper-lined tray. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
2 Preheat oven to 240°C. Turn pork over and score meat at 3cm intervals. Rub combined oil and five-spice into meat only (not into rind). Season meat with pepper. Turn pork rind-side up. Using a skewer or Stanley knife, pierce holes all over rind, being very careful not to cut through to the meat. Pat rind dry with paper towel, then rub well with 3 tsp salt. Place onion slices in a roasting pan, top with pork, rind-side up. Shuffle onion underneath to ensure pork sits level.
3 Bake 45 mins or until rind is golden and crispy. Reduce temperature to 160°C. Bake a further 45 mins. Remove from oven. Rest pork 10 mins before slicing with a large serrated knife.
4 MANGO SALAD Combine cucumber, mango, carrot, onions and coriander in a large bowl. To make dressing, combine sauces and vinegar in a small jug. Pour half the dressing over slaw and toss to combine. Sprinkle with shallots.
5 Serve pork with salad and remaining dressing to drizzle over pork.
TIP: Red potatoes can be replaced with baby chat potatoes.
Parmesan Roasties
SERVES 6, PREP 10 mins, COOK 45 mins
• 1kg bag small red potatoes, halved
• 50g piece parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tbsp Tuscan seasoning
• 2 tsp plain flour
• ¼ cup olive oil
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Pat potatoes dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
2 Combine parmesan, seasoning and flour in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add oil to a large non-stick roasting pan or rimmed baking tray. Tilt pan so oil covers base. Sprinkle evenly with parmesan mixture.
3 Place potato halves, cut-side down, over parmesan layer.
4 Bake 30 mins. Remove. Using an egg slide, turn over potatoes. Bake a further 10-15 mins until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
TIP: Use coriander, baby spinach or rocket leaves instead of mint, if preferred.
Pearl Couscous & Pomegranate Salad
SERVES 6, PREP 20 mins, COOK 10 mins
• 250g packet pearl couscous (1½ cups)
• 1 small pomegranate, halved
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, chopped
• ½ cup drained pitted green olives, thinly sliced
• 100g Greek-style feta, crumbled
• 1 cup shredded fresh mint leaves, plus extra leaves to serve
DRESSING
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
• 3 tsp Moroccan seasoning
• 2 tsp honey
1 Bring 1½ cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add couscous and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8-10 mins until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stand covered 5 mins. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool.
2 DRESSING Whisk all ingredients in a small jug
until combined.
3 Tap pomegranate, upside down over a bowl with a wooden spoon to release seeds, then use a teaspoon to gently pry out any remaining seeds.
4 Add pomegranate seeds, remaining ingredients and dressing to couscous. Toss to combine. Garnish with extra mint leaves.
Christmas is coming!
Christmas Tree Pavlova
SERVES 8, PREP 1 hour, COOK 1 hour
• 6 large egg whites
• 1½ cups caster sugar
• 3 tsp cornflour
• 1½ tsp white vinegar
• 250g punnet strawberries, quartered
• 125g punnet raspberries
• ¼ cup icing sugar mixture
• 600ml thickened cream, whipped to firm peaks
• Mint, icing sugar, figs, to decorate
1 Cut two sheets of baking paper large enough to line two large baking trays. Mark a 17cm circle and an 11cm circle on one sheet of paper, about 5cm apart. On other sheet of paper, mark a 14cm circle, an 8cm circle, a 5cm circle and a 3cm circle, about 5cm apart. Place marked sheets, marked-side down, on the greased baking trays.
2 Preheat oven to 120°C.
3 Beat egg whites in large bowl of electric mixer until soft peaks form. With motor operating, gradually add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat a further 5-8 mins until sugar is dissolved and meringue is thick and glossy (mixture should be smooth when you rub it between your fingers). Beat in cornflour and vinegar until just combined.
4 Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a size 11mm star nozzle (you may need to do this in batches). Starting in centre, pipe coils of mixture within marked circles on trays, then pipe a second
coil on top so that each round is 2-3cm thick.
5 Place trays in oven. Reduce temperature to 100°C. Bake 1 hour or until meringue is dry and crisp. Turn off oven. Cool meringue in oven with door slightly ajar.
6 Set aside half the strawberries and raspberries. To make sauce, blend remaining strawberries and raspberries with icing sugar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a jug.
7 To assemble, place largest meringue round on serving plate. Spread with some whipped cream, scatter over some strawberries and raspberries and drizzle over 2 tsp berry sauce. Continue layering meringues from largest to smallest with whipped cream, berries and berry sauce to form a tree. Decorate with mint leaves, drizzle with berry sauce and dust with icing sugar. Serve with remaining berry
sauce and figs.
