No festive meal is complete without a hearty roast! Make our December cover of herbed chicken with cranberry sauce for your family gathering this Christmas.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
For the herbed chicken
½ cup basil, finely chopped
½ cup origanum, finely chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
8 thyme sprigs, picked and chopped
4 rosemary sprigs, picked and chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup butter, softened
2 chickens
4 tbsp olive oil
For the cranberry sauce
2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup cranberry juice
⅓ cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp cornflour
⅔ cup water

METHOD
For the herbed chicken
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Mix together the herbs, lemon zest and butter.
3. Pat the chickens dry and gently rub the herbed butter onto the skin of each one.
4. Cut the zested lemon in half and add one half to the cavity of each chicken, along with any leftover herbed butter.
5. Place the chickens on roasting trays and truss them. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
6. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve with roast veg and cranberry sauce.
For the cranberry sauce
1. Add all the ingredients, except the cornflour and water to a pot. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the cornflour and water together, then add it to the sauce stirring continuously until thickened. Cook for 3 minutes and set aside to serve.

Recipe & styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz // HMimages.co.za

For a vegetarian alternative, try our roast cauliflower with yoghurt, toasted almonds and mint.