Week 4: Christmas Meal

 Khaya’s Kitchen  – Metro FM

Week 5 – Christmas Meat

Whole Roast Chicken stuffed with Jewelled Rice

(Serves 8)

You’ll need:

2½ cups basmati rice; rinsed and soaked in 4 cups water with 2 tbsp. salt for at least 2 hrs

1 medium onion; halved and thinly sliced

½ cup pistachios; sliced and soaked in water to soften

½ cup slivered almonds; soaked in water to soften

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

2 medium carrots; cut in half and julienned

Peel of 2 oranges; washed, julienned and soaked in water

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp. turmeric

⅓ tsp. ground cardamon

1 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper; to taste

4 cups water

4 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 large whole roast chicken

Mixed roasting herbs (sage, rosemary and thyme)

Method (Rice)

1.     In a large pot, bring 5 cups water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat.

2.     Gently add the drained rice and boil for about 7–8 min.

3.     Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. (The rice will not be fully cooked at this point).

4.     Combine ½ cup of brown sugar and a cup of water in a pan over medium heat, and boil gently until sugar is completely dissolved and starts to thicken.

5.     Add orange zest and carrots and cook for 15–20 min. on low heat until soft.

6.     Drain and discard syrup.

7.     Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a large pot and add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil.

8.     Once hot, add onions and sauté until golden brown, then add turmeric and stir well.

9.     Add cranberries and raisins and sprinkle a tbsp. of sugar on top.

10.  Mix well, then sauté until soft.

11.  Mix in the carrots and orange zest.

12.  Sprinkle with the spices and taste to adjust seasoning.

13.  Add pistachios and almonds and mix well.

14.  In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.

15.  In a large pot, layer the rice with the nuts and carrot mixture.

16.  Sprinkle ½ a cup water over the top, cover with lid and cover lid with a clean dishcloth.

17.  Cook on low heat until rice is fully cooked.

18.  Keep warm and set aside.

Method (Chicken)

1.     Preheat oven to 200 °C.

2.     Season chicken well with salt and pepper and lift the skin on the breast without breaking it.

3.     Spread with butter, then place the herbs on both breasts.

4.     Stuff cavity of chicken with rice (you need about 2 cups).

5.     Now bind legs together using kitchen string to keep the chicken closed.

6.     Place on roasting tray, place in oven and roast for 20 min.

7.     Turn heat down to 180 °C and roast for a further 40 min. (Juices from chicken should run clear. If not, leave in the oven longer).

8.     Remove from the oven and cover with foil to rest before serving.

Tips:

•        Starting the chicken on a high heat allows the skin to crisp up properly.
•        I find that stuffing the chicken allows it to remain moist and flavourful from the inside, but if you prefer you can simply use the jewelled rice as a side.
•        If you have family members with nut allergies, remove these from the recipe and try and add colour using vegetables (peas are a good replacement for the green from the pistachios)

Glazed Carrots

(Serves 8)

You’ll need:

2 tbsp. butter

15 carrots; cut diagonally into thin slices

¼ cup orange juice

⅓ cup maple syrup

5 cm fresh ginger; peeled and grated

3 tsp. brown sugar

Pinch of salt; for taste

Method

1.     In a large pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat.

2.     Add carrots, orange juice, syrup, ginger, brown sugar and salt and stir to combine.

3.     Cover and cook 5–8 min., stirring occasionally, until carrots are almost tender.

4.     Uncover and cook 5–8 min. more until liquid has reduced by half and carrots are tender.

5.     Remove from heat and add remaining tbsp. of butter, tossing until melted.

6.     Transfer to serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Broccoli Salad

(Serves 8)

You’ll need:

1 head broccoli

1 cup bacon bits; cooked until crispy

½ cup red onion; diced

½ cup raisins

1 cup Cheddar cheese; cubed

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

½ cup cherry tomatoes; halved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.     Wash the broccoli and trim the stalk, removing the large, tough parts.

2.     Then separate into florets and cut the softer parts of the stem into small bite-sized pieces.

3.     Place in a large bowl.

4.     Add the bacon, onion, raisins and cheese.

5.     In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well.

6.     Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently, then serve.

Tip:

•        Although the salad tastes great with the broccoli uncooked, if you prefer your broccoli cooked slightly, you can blanch in a pot of boiling water for 2–3 min., then remove and place in a bowl of ice-cold water to retain the colour and stop broccoli from cooking any further.

Glazed Gammon with Pineapple Rings

(Serves 8–10)

You’ll need:

1 cup syrup

1 cup orange juice

1 cup ginger beer

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

1 can cherries; syrup drained and reserved, halved

2,5–3kg gammon

1 x 400 g can pineapple rings; syrup drained

Toothpicks

Method:

1.     Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

2.     In a medium bowl, mix together the syrup, orange juice, ginger beer, brown sugar and honey.

3.     Stir in the juice from the cherries, and half of the cherries.

4.     Score the outer edge of the gammon with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern.

5.     This will allow the gammon to soak up the juice.

6.     Place the gammon into an oven bag, and carefully pour the juice mixture over it, keeping all of the juice in the bag.

7.     It may look like there is too much juice, but the gammon will soak it up while baking.

8.     Place the pineapples onto the top of the gammon, and secure with toothpicks.

9.     Place cherries into the centres of the rings, and secure with toothpicks also.

10.  Tie the end of the bag closed with the ties provided, place in a large roasting pan, and cut a few small slits in the top of the oven bag.

11.  Bake the ham for 2 hrs in the preheated oven.

12.  Remove gammon from bag to a serving plate, and allow to rest for 10 min. before carving.

Tip:

•  If you don’t have oven-roasting bags, simply place the gammon in a roasting tray, add the glaze onto the top and drizzle on the sides, then cover with foil. Remove the foil in the last 15 min. of cooking to allow the gammon to brown.

Roast Potatoes

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

1,5 kg medium-sized potatoes; washed
50 g butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary; coarsely chopped

Method

1.     Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2.     Line potatoes on the baking tray.

3.     Using a sharp knife, make small vertical cuts through each potato, making sure not to cut all the way through.

4.     Heat the butter and oil together in a small microwave-safe dish in the microwave until melted and warm.

5.     Brush over the potatoes, then season with rosemary, salt and pepper. 

6.     Roast for 35 min., basting with more butter mixture every 10 min. until golden and crunchy.

7.     Serve warm.

Tips:

• I prefer not to peel my potatoes, and simply wash them and trim any blemished spots on them, but if you like you can use peeled potatoes for this recipe.
• For an even tastier alternative, add some crunchy bacon bits to the top of the potatoes when serving.