COOKING CORNER

A toast to roasts

Roast beef rump with red wine gravy PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 40 MINS SERVES 4

1 tbsp port

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1½ tbsp Worcestershire

sauce

2.5kg piece beef rump

(corner piece)

1 cup (250ml) dry red wine

1½ cups (375ml) water

40g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1½ cups (375ml) beef stock

1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine the port, mustard and 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over the piece of beef.

2 Place the beef on a wire rack in a medium flameproof baking dish. Combine ½ cup (125ml) each wine and water, then pour into the dish. Roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3 Reduce oven temperature to 160°C, then roast for a further 1 hour for medium or until cooked as desired. Add extra water if the pan juices evaporate.

4 Transfer the beef to a warmed plate and cover to keep warm and rest while making the gravy. Drain the pan juices into a small heatproof bowl.

5 Melt the butter in the same flameproof baking dish over a medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is well browned. Gradually stir in the remaining wine, then stock, reserved pan juices and the remaining Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring, until the gravy boils and thickens slightly. Strain into a jug to remove any lumps.

6 Serve the beef with red wine gravy and crisp, golden roast potatoes and peas, if desired.

Sweet spicy chicken PREP + COOK TIME 40 MINS (+ MARINATING) SERVES 4

4 x 500g small chickens (see tip)

2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1/3 cup (100g) mango chutney

2 tbsp olive oil

1 Using kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the chicken backbone, discarding backbones. Cut chickens in half along breastbones.

2 Combine chicken in a large bowl

with the paprika, mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, coriander, spring onion, chutney and oil. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

3 Preheat oven to 220°C.

Drain chicken, reserving the marinade. Place chicken, skinside up, on a rack in a baking paper-lined baking dish.

4 Roast, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through, brushing with marinade several times during cooking. Cover with foil if the chicken is starting to over-brown.

5 Serve chicken with roasted pumpkin wedges, if desired.

Sticky-glazed slow-roasted pork neck PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS 45 MINS (+ MARINATING TIME) SERVES 8

½ cup (125ml) Chinese cooking wine or medium dry sherry

1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce

1/3 cup (75g) firmly packed brown sugar

4 garlic cloves, crushed

5cm piece (25g) fresh ginger,

grated

1 tsp sesame oil

2 star anise

2kg piece pork neck

1½ cups (375ml) water

1 Combine the cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, oil and star anise in a medium jug. Place pork in a large dish and pour over half the marinade, turning pork to coat. Reserve remaining marinade for serving. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, turning pork occasionally.

2 Preheat oven to 160°C. Place pork on a wire rack over a baking dish, reserving the marinade. Pour the water into the base of the baking dish. Cover the pork tightly with foil. 3 Place the pork in the oven and roast for 1½ hours. Remove the foil and roast for a further 1 hour or until pork is tender, brushing occasionally with the reserved marinade.

4 Remove pork from the dish, cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

5 Heat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.

6 Slice pork and serve drizzled with the hot marinade. Serve with roasted ku¯mara wedges, steamed Brussels sprouts and snow peas, if desired.

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder PREP + COOK TIME 4 HOURS SERVES 4

1.3kg lamb shoulder

(with the shank on)

2 tbsp olive oil

1kg potatoes, thinly sliced

2 medium onions, thinly

sliced

4 drained anchovy fillets,

finely chopped

2 whole garlic bulbs

3 sprigs rosemary

2 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

1 cup (250ml) water or white

wine

1 Preheat oven to 180°C.

Rub the lamb all over with salt and freshly ground pepper.

2 Heat a flameproof baking dish over a medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the lamb and cook until the lamb is well browned all over. Turn off the heat and remove the lamb from the baking dish. 3 Layer the potato, onion and anchovies in the base of the same baking dish, seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper between layers. Remove the papery skin from the garlic bulbs and cut them in half crossways. Tuck them in among the potatoes.

4 Place the lamb on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the rosemary and lemon juice over the potatoes. Pour the combined stock and water or wine over the potatoes. Cover the dish tightly with two layers of foil. Roast for 2 hours. Remove the foil, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C and roast for a further 1½-2 hours or until the meat falls easily from the bone.

5 Stand the lamb, covered with foil, for 20 minutes before serving.

Snapper with roasted vegetables PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR SERVES 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, with skin on,

bruised

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, cores removed, fennel tops (fronds) reserved

4 small parsnips, peeled,

quartered lengthways

1 bunch baby carrots,

trimmed, peeled 300g truss cherry tomatoes

2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced

chicken or vegetable stock

4 x 200g thick snapper fillets

4 thin slices prosciutto Lemon wedges, for serving

1 Preheat oven to 200°C.

2 Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof baking dish over a medium heat. When hot, add the garlic, fennel, parsnips and carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the dish to brown the vegetables on all sides. Add the truss tomatoes to dish. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Transfer dish to the oven and roast vegetables, uncovered, for 35 minutes.

3 Wrap each fish fillet with a piece of prosciutto.

4 Remove baking dish from the oven and place fish on top of the vegetables. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until just cooked through.

5 Transfer the fish to four warm serving plates, arrange the vegetables around, then drizzle with the roasting juices. Scatter with the fennel tops and serve with lemon wedges.