’Tis the season for show-stopping meals. What better way to impress your friends and family than a roaring roast? Here are five decadent and delicious roast recipes to prepare this festive season. 

Cranberry and balsamic roast chicken 

Serves 4 // Cooking time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 

For the marinade 

¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup orange juice
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp thyme, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, grated  

For the roast chicken 

1 whole chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, sliced
½ onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup chicken stock 

To Serve 

2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes and roasted  

Method 

For the marinade 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large, shallow dish.

For the roast chicken 

1. Place the chicken in the marinade, spooning all over the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinating liquid. Put the chicken in the centre of an oiled roasting tin lined with lemon slices.
3. Stuff the onion, garlic and rosemary inside the cavity of the chicken, pour over the chicken stock and brush some of the marinade on top of the chicken. Roast for about an hour until cooked through.
4. While the chicken roasts, put the remaining marinade in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until slightly thickened and use this to baste the chicken during roasting.
5. Carve the cranberry and balsamic roast chicken to your liking and serve with roasted sweet potatoes.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

Looking for ideas to use the leftover chicken? Make these yummy spicy chicken with pea patties the next day! 

Pistachio and rosemary leg of lamb 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 2 hours 

Ingredients 

150g (± ½ loaf) ciabatta, torn into pieces
100g pistachios
75ml olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 bulbs garlic, 1 peeled and crushed, 1 halved
10g rosemary
5g flat-leaf parsley
5g origanum
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt flakes and black pepper
2kg leg of lamb, on the bone
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1L vegetable stock 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. To make the stuffing, place the ciabatta pieces, pistachios, oil, crushed garlic, half of the rosemary (leaves only), parsley, origanum, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper in a food processor. Blitz until all the ingredients are roughly chopped and well combined.
3. Make an incision along the back of the leg of lamb, down the bone, to create a pocket. Put the stuffing inside and secure with string to keep it from falling out.
4. Place the lamb in a roasting tin with the halved garlic, carrots, celery and onions.
5. Pour the stock into the tin, drizzle a little extra oil over the lamb and season. Tuck the remaining rosemary under the string.
6. Roast in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and cooked through.
7. Carve, drizzle the pan juices over the lamb and serve.

Also read:  Slow cooked lamb pizzas 

Roast beef with lemony-sage roast potatoes and glazed carrots 

Serves 6–8 // Cooking time 2 hr 35 minutes 

Ingredients

For the roast beef 

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chopped rosemary
2 Tbsp chopped thyme
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2.25kg silverside beef 

For the dressing 

¼ cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
4 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful sage, finely chopped
Handful parsley, finely chopped  

For the lemon and sage roast potatoes 

8 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
4 sage leaves, bruised
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried origanum
½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup vegetable oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges  

For the glazed carrots
 

500g baby carrots
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Handful fresh sage, to serve (optional)  

Method 

For the roast beef  

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Combine the mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs and 4 tbsp olive oil together in a bowl. Rub half of the mixture over the meat.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a pan over high heat. Once oil is smoking, sear the meat for 2–3 min on each side, until golden brown. Transfer to a roasting tray and roast for 40 min.
4. Switch the oven to grill. Remove the meat from the oven and spread over the remaining mustard rub. Return to the oven and grill for about 10 minutes, until the top is browned. Remove, lightly cover with foil, and rest for 20–30 min.

For the dressing 

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and season.  

For the lemon and sage roast potatoes  

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and par-cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain.
3. Toss the potatoes, sage, lemon zest, dried origanum and garlic powder together in a bowl, then season.
4. Pour oil into a large roasting tray and place in the oven for 10 min.
5. Remove from the oven and carefully add the potatoes and lemon wedges. Roast for 40–45 minutes, tossing every 15 min, or until crispy and golden brown.

For the glazed carrots 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Toss all the ingredients together. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for about 20–25 minutes, until tender.
3. To serve, carve the roast beef and top with extra sage. Serve alongside crispy lemon and sage roast potatoes and glazed carrots with dressing on the side.

Recipes & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz  

Whole roast butternut with rice, carrot and baby marrow 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 3 hours 

Ingredients

For the whole roast butternut  

1 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1½ Tbsp chopped thyme
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tsp flaxseed
2 Tbsp hot water
½ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup flour
1 large baby marrow, halved lengthways
1 carrot
1 butternut, halved lengthways and deseeded  

For the vegan gravy  

¼ cup vegan margarine
½ onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp soy sauce  

Method  

For the whole roast butternut  

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Bring the rice, water and stock to the boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Strain and stir in the chopped herbs.
3. Add some oil to a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the rice and season to taste.
4. Whisk flaxseed and water.
5. Mix together the flaxseed, rice, cranberries and flour, until everything is fully incorporated.
6. Scoop out the flesh from the baby marrow, leaving a 5 mm border. Trim the carrot to fit inside one half of the baby marrow.
7. Scoop enough flesh from one half of the butternut to fit the baby marrow with the carrot inside. Fill the other baby marrow half with the rice stuffing and sandwich on top of the carrot.
8. Scoop enough flesh from the other half of the butternut to fit the remaining rice stuffing.
9. Prick the butternut flesh all over with the fork and secure the two halves together with kitchen string.
10. Brush with oil, wrap in foil and roast for 1 hour, until tender. Allow to rest inside the foil for 20 minutes before carving.

For the vegan gravy  

1. Melt the margarine in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Add the flour and fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock and soy sauce and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened.
3. Strain and season to taste.

Recipe & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: Gareth van Nelson 

Also read: Vegan butternut and cashew nut curry 

Ginger-braised pork roast with baby marrow 

Serves 6 // Cooking time 2 hours 50 minutes 

Ingredients 

For the pork roast  

10 cm ginger, grated
2 lemongrass stalks, grated
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 Tbsp soy sauce
4 carrots, chopped
1 pork knuckle
2 cups cider
½ cup roughly crushed ginger biscuits  

For the baby marrow veggies  

2 Tbsp butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced
6 baby marrows, sliced  

Method 

For the pork roast 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Mix together the ginger, lemongrass, tomato paste and soy sauce.
3. Arrange the carrots in the bottom of a deep roasting tray. Place the pork knuckle on top and brush with the lemongrass mixture.
4. Pour the cider into the bottom of the tray, under the knuckle, and cover with foil.
5. Place in the oven and decrease the temperature to 160°C. Roast for 2 hours.
6. Remove the pork from the oven and increase to 180°C.
7. Cut away the top layer of skin on the pork (serve it on the side as pork crackling) and sprinkle with the ginger biscuit crumbs. Roast for another 15 minutes.
8. Set the pork knuckle aside to rest. Add all the remaining ingredients and liquid in the roasting tray to a blender and blend until smooth.
9. Transfer the sauce to a pot and simmer until reduced by half. Set aside.

For the baby marrow veggies  

1. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the leeks over medium heat until translucent.
2. Add the baby marrow and fry for 3 minutes.

To serve 

Shred the pork and serve on top of the veggies with the carrot sauce.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen  

Also read: Pork and Parmesan tagliatelle 

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