Here’s how to rule the roast
Bold and punchy flavours make this wintry dinner an absolute knock-out, says NZ House & Garden’s Sally Butters.
Roasted broccoli & cauliflower with Dijon dressing
Roasting brassicas gives them a whole new, utterly delicious flavour profile. Toss them with juicy green olives and creamy mustard sauce and the combination is a taste sensation.
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets and pieces of stalk
1 cup cauliflower florets
2-3 tbsp neutral-tasting cooking oil Generous sprinkle of sea salt Small pinch fennel seeds Small pinch chilli flakes Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1⁄4 cup green Sicilian olives, pitted and chopped
2 tsp capers
4 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed Pinch sea salt Cracked black pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄2 lemon, juice and zest
Heat oven to 200C. Spread the broccoli and cauliflower on a roasting tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle over the salt, chilli flakes and fennel seeds. Roast until just cooked, with some charred edges – about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl along with olives and capers.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified. Taste and adjust to your preference.
Add dressing to bowl and gently toss. Garnish with additional parsley.
Serves 4
Potato & fennel gratin
This creamy side dish is an ideal partner for roast meat or delicious on its own as a vegetarian main. If your fennel comes with delicate fronds still attached, save some to use as garnish.
4 medium potatoes, washed and thinly sliced (Agria work well)
1 fennel bulb, cut lengthways into 1⁄2cm slices
3 tbsp butter
Olive oil
1⁄2 cup vegetable stock
1⁄2 cup cream
5-6 stalks fresh thyme
1⁄2 cup grated parmesan
Heat oven to 190C and grease a medium-sized, shallow baking dish.
Arrange potato slices and fennel slices evenly in the dish, finishing with a top layer of fennel.
Dot the butter through the vegetables and drizzle over a little olive oil. Pour over the stock and cream.
Pull the leaves off the thyme and sprinkle all over. Season generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until crispy on top and soft and cooked underneath. Serve garnished with fennel fronds if desired.
Serves 4-5 as a side dish
Golden crispy chicken with anchovy & garlic butter
Anchovies add the ideal balance of saltiness to this tray bake. The butter is rubbed all over the chicken and as it melts it creates perfectly crispy, caramelised skin and moist meat, not to mention fabulous flavour.
100g butter, at room temperature
5 anchovy fillets, chopped, plus a little oil from the jar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lemons Small pinch sea salt and cracked
black pepper
2 red onions
4-5 free-range chicken drums
4 bone-in free-range chicken thighs (skin on)
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
Using a fork, small food processor or stick blender, combine butter, anchovies and anchovy oil, garlic, the zest of 1 lemon, salt and pepper.
Heat oven to 220C. Cut onions into thick slices and scatter over a roasting tray. Add chicken pieces. Spread the anchovy butter over chicken, including getting it up under the skin. Add thyme sprigs to the tray and season chicken well with salt and pepper.
Cut both lemons (including the one without zest) in half and add to the tray. Drizzle olive oil over and place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Take tray from oven and give it a good shake. Using a fish slice, toss chicken and onions and check they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the tray. Reduce oven to 180C and cook for another 30-35 minutes, basting a few times throughout (opening the oven, tip the tray and use a dessertspoon to spoon the juices over the chicken). This will keep the skin golden and the meat juicy.
Serve straight from the tray, garnished with a little sea salt and some chopped parsley.
Serves 4