MIDWINTER FARE

Pink pepper beef fillet with horseradish cream

A roast comes into its own in winter so set the table and enjoy for long lunches indoors with friends and family

Butterflied coriander chickens & pan stuffing

Fennelcheese pan stuffing

Pink pepper beef fillet with horseradish cream

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

2kg beef fillet ¼ cup olive oil 2 tsp sea salt flakes 2 Tbsp dried pink peppercorns 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 250g rocket, trimmed

HORSERADISH CREAM

½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 2 Tbsp horseradish cream 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Heat a large grill plate (or barbecue) over medium-high heat. Trim any sinew and silver skin from beef. Fold thin end of fillet under; tie beef with kitchen string at 5cm intervals. Coat beef with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the salt. Cook beef on grill plate for 3 minutes each side until well browned. 3 Meanwhile, pound peppercorns with a mortar and pestle until coarsely crushed Alternatively place in a resealable bag and crush using the base of a heavy saucepan. Stir in rosemary; reserve 1 tablespoon of pepper mixture. Sprinkle remaining pepper mixture onto a large baking-paperlined oven tray. Roll beef in pepper mixture until coated all over. 4 Roast beef for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 60°C for rare. Cover loosely with foil; rest for 15 minutes. 5 Make Horseradish Cream. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl; season. 6 Place rocket and remaining oil in a medium bowl; toss to combine. Season. 7 Thickly slice beef; sprinkle with reserved pepper mixture. Serve with Horseradish Cream and rocket.

DO-AHEAD

Beef fillet can be prepared to the end of step 4, several hours ahead. Stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing with recipe.

Fennel-cheese pan stuffing

SERVES 10

INGREDIENTS

2 red onions, cut into thick slices crossways 1 baby fennel, sliced thinly 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 day-old small sourdough loaf, torn into chunks 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 Tbsp currants 2 Tbsp pine nuts 1⁄3 cup finely grated parmesan ½ cup vegetable stock 1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Place red onion slices in a single layer in a roasting pan. Top with baby fennel slices. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Cover with foil; roast for 30 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, toss the bread chunks in a bowl with the thyme leaves, currants, pine nuts, parmesan, vegetable stock and beaten egg until combined. Spread over the onion mixture in pan; toss to combine. Roast for 30 minutes or until browned. Serve with pork, chicken, turkey, beef or lamb.

Lamb cutlets with papaya mint salad

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg green papaya 250g heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 1 clove garlic, peeled 3 fresh long red chillies, coarsely chopped 1½ Tbsp fish sauce 3 tsp lime rind, finely grated ¼ cup lime juice 2 Tbsp finely grated palm sugar 2 Tbsp olive oil 18 French-trimmed lamb cutlets 2 cups fresh mint leaves ¼ cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped 1 Tbsp fried shallots (optional) Lime wedges, to serve

LIME CARAMEL

1 cup caster sugar ¼ cup malt vinegar ¼ cup fish sauce 2 Tbsp tamarind puree 5 makrut lime leaves, ribs removed 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 fresh long red chilli, chopped coarsely

1 Halve papaya; remove seeds. Cut flesh into long thin match sticks with a V-slicer, julienne peeler or mandoline. Place papaya and tomatoes in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. 2 Pulse garlic, chilli, fish sauce, rind, juice and sugar in a small food processor until well combined. Add to papaya and tomato mixture; toss gently to coat. 3 Make Lime Caramel. Combine sugar and ¼ cup (60ml) water in a small heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, without stirring, for 12 minutes or until a deep golden colour. Swirl pan gently to colour evenly towards the end of cooking time. Meanwhile, process vinegar, sauce, tamarind, lime leaves, garlic, ginger and chilli in a small food processor until smooth. As soon as the caramel is a deep golden, carefully add paste to pan – the mixture will bubble fiercely. Increase the heat to high; stir sauce until the toffee pieces are melted. 4 Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook cutlets, in two batches, for 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add the Lime Caramel, increase heat to high; cook for a further 4 minutes, turning cutlets, until caramel is thick, sticky and glazes cutlets. 5 Add the mint, peanuts and shallots to salad; toss to combine. 6 Serve cutlets with caramel sauce, papaya mint salad and lime wedges.

Lamb cutlets with papaya mint salad

Tip You could use green mango instead of green papaya. Caramel can burn very quickly; it is helpful to have all the remaining ingredients ready to go, so that once the caramel is ready, you can finish the recipe.

Chimichurri butterflied lamb

Tip You can brown the lamb on a grill plate over high heat for 5 minutes on each side, then transfer to a preheated 200°C oven to roast as above.

Chimichurri butterflied lamb

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1.6kg butterflied leg of lamb 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 medium lemons, halved 275g baby roma truss tomatoes

CHIMICHURRI

½ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar 2 cloves garlic, crushed ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped ¼ cup fresh oregano, finely chopped 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tsp sea salt flakes

1 Preheat a covered barbecue with all burners on high and hood closed until temperature reaches 200°C or follow the manufacturer’s directions (see tips). 2 Meanwhile, make Chimichurri. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl; season to taste. Cover surface with plastic wrap. This can be made a day ahead; cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent discolouring. 3 Open out lamb. Combine ¼ cup of the chimichurri with oil; rub over lamb. Season well. Place lamb on heated barbecue grill. Turn burners off underneath lamb, leaving other burners on medium. Cook with the hood closed for 40 minutes for medium, depending on thickness, or until done as desired. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature. lf lamb is not browned enough after cooking, cook over high heat on barbecue, grilling briefly on both sides to brown. Transfer lamb to a platter; cover loosely with foil; stand for 10 minutes. 4 While lamb is resting, cook lemon and tomatoes on barbecue until lemons are charred and tomatoes are just softened. Season tomatoes. 5 Serve lamb with tomatoes, lemon halves and Chimichurri, scattered with extra herbs, if you like.

Jamaican jerk pork with caramelised pineapple

You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

½ large pineapple, cut into 1cm slices 1.8kg skinless pork scotch fillet (see Note) ½ cup fresh coriander leaves Lime cheeks, to serve

MARINADE

2 medium limes ¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce 1 small red onion, quartered 6 cloves garlic, halved 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 Tbsp olive oil 1½ Tbsp ground allspice 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1 fresh long green chilli, coarsely chopped

1 Make Marinade. Finely grate rind from 1 lime. Squeeze juice from both limes; you will need 2 tablespoons juice. Process rind and juice with remaining ingredients until smooth. 2 Place pineapple and ½ cup of the marinade in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate overnight. 3 Place pork in a medium shallow dish with remaining marinade; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate overnight also. 4 Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a roasting pan that’s just large enough to hold the pork with baking paper; place pork with marinade in pan; cover with a second piece of baking paper, then foil; roast for 1¾ hours or until pork is tender. 5 Remove pork from oven; discard paper and foil covering. Turn pork in cooking juices. Increase oven to 220°C. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until outside is caramelised. Remove pork from oven; rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes. 6 Meanwhile, cook pineapple slices on a preheated oiled chargrill pan until golden brown and heated through. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. 7 Serve sliced pork with grilled pineapple, coriander leaves and lime cheeks.

Note Select a pork scotch fillet with a good amount of fat to prevent it from drying out.

Turkey breast with cranberry & pistachio stuffing

Barbecue skirt steak with anchovy vinaigrette

Barbecue skirt steak with anchovy vinaigrette

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

1.2kg skirt steak (see Notes) 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp brown sugar 1½ tsp sea salt flakes 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2S0g cherry truss tomatoes

ANCHOVY VINAIGRETTE

1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped 2 fresh long red chillies, seeded, finely chopped 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped 2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped 2 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Make Anchovy Vinaigrette. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot for 3 minutes or until softened. Add anchovy and chilli; cook for 1 minute or until anchovy is soft. Transfer to a heatproof bowl; stir in herbs. Grate garlic into hot anchovy mixture using a fine grater or microplane. Cool. Stir in rind, juice and vinegar. Season to taste. 2 Pat steak dry with paper towel. Combine oil, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Add steak to bowl; rub oil mixture all over steak until coated evenly. Stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. 3 Preheat a barbecue (or grill plate) on high. Cook steak for 4 minutes each side for medium or until grill marks appear and steak is cooked to your liking (see Notes). Transfer to a tray, cover loosely with foil; rest for at least 10 minutes. Barbecue whole tomatoes for 2 minutes or until softened slightly. Season. 4 Slice steak; drizzle with Anchovy Vinaigrette. Serve with barbecued tomatoes.

Notes Skirt, sometimes called flank, is a less expensive steak cut with great flavour, though a little chewy. Bring it to room temperature before cooking, then rest it well before serving for best results. The thickness of skirt steak can differ, so cooking times will vary. You will need to cook for 4 minutes each side for 2cm thick steak and about 10 minutes each side for 5cm thick steak. You can also use rump, sirloin, scotch fillet, rib eye or eye fillet steak, if preferred.

Turkey breast with cranberry & pistachio stuffing

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

125g baby spinach 1⁄3 cup dried cranberries, chopped coarsely 1⁄3 cup pistachios, chopped coarsely 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs 1kg frozen ready-to-roast turkey breast, thawed 2 Tbsp olive oil 6 fresh thyme sprigs 1 cup salt-reduced chicken stock 2 Tbsp brandy

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. 2 Place spinach in a heatproof bowl; pour over boiling water, stand for 1 minute. Drain; cool under running water. Squeeze small handfuls of spinach to remove excess liquid; chop and place in a medium bowl. Stir in cranberries, pistachios and breadcrumbs; season. 3 Place turkey breast on a sheet of baking paper large enough to enclose turkey. Slice breast in half lengthways, without cutting all the way through; open out flat. 4 Spoon stuffing over one cut-side of the breast, then fold the other side over stuffing to enclose. Brush turkey with oil, season; top with thyme. 5 Wrap baking paper around turkey; secure with kitchen string. Place turkey on a large oven tray; roast for 40 minutes. 6 Remove string; peel back the paper. Brush surface of turkey with some of the cooking juices. Roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until golden. Rest turkey, loosely covered, for 10 minutes. 7 To make a sauce, combine stock and brandy in a small saucepan. Boil until reduced by half. 8 Serve sliced turkey with the sauce.

Sprout & bacon pan stuffing

SERVES 10

INGREDIENTS

2 medium onions, cut in wedges 250g bacon rashers, coarsely chopped 500g small Brussels sprouts, halved 2 celery stalks, sliced 2 Pink Lady apples, cut into wedges 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small day-old sourdough loaf, torn into chunks ¼ cup fresh sage leaves 80g butter, melted ½ cup chicken stock 1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Toss onion wedges, bacon, Brussels sprouts, celery and apple wedges with olive oil in a shallow roasting pan. Season. Roast for 30 minutes. Add bread chunks and sage leaves, toss well. 3 Combine melted butter and chicken stock with the beaten egg; drizzle over mixture in pan, toss to combine. Roast for 30 minutes or until browned. Serve with roast pork, chicken or turkey.

Butterflied coriander chickens & pan stuffing

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

2 x 1.2kg whole chickens 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 140g cured chorizo sausages, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 4 cups wholemeal sourdough bread, coarsely torn into small chunks 1 medium carrot, grated coarsely ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 Tbsp currants 1 egg, beaten lightly 1 cup chicken stock 400g baby carrots, trimmed

CORIANDER SAUCE

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, firmly packed 1 bunch fresh coriander, stems and leaves coarsely chopped 2 spring onions, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic, crushed 50g butter, chopped 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, sliced thinly ¼ cup jalapenos pickling liquid

1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Lightly oil a 20cm square ovenproof dish. 2 Make Coriander Sauce. Process all the ingredients until a bright-green paste forms; season to taste. Reserve 2 tablespoons to use for stuffing and ½ cup for serving; refrigerate until required. 3 Pat chickens dry with paper towel. Place chickens, breast side down, on a chopping board. Using poultry shears or sharp kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the backbone; discard. Open chickens to lie flat. Turn, breast-side up; push down to flatten. Tuck wings under breast. Place chickens in a large roasting pan; rub remaining Coriander Sauce over chickens. Season. 4 Roast chickens for 10 minutes. 5 Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Cook chorizo and onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a bowl; stir in bread, carrot, parsley, currants, egg, stock and reserved 2 tablespoons of Coriander Sauce. Spread mixture in ovenproof dish; smooth surface. 6 Add stuffing to lower oven shelf; roast with chickens for 10 minutes, then add carrots to pan with chickens. Roast for a further 25 minutes or until chickens, stuffing and carrots are browned and cooked through. Cover chickens loosely with foil; stand for 10 minutes. (The stuffing can cook a little longer while the chicken is standing.) 7 Serve chickens with pan stuffing, carrots and remaining Coriander Sauce. Sprinkle with extra coriander leaves, if you like.

Tip Roast baby potatoes instead of carrots, if preferred. Reserve the coriander roots for another recipe, if you like.