Food blogger Sherona Naidoo shares recipes for festive mains:
Christmas Roast Leg of Lamb
2kg roast leg of lamb
40g thyme
20g rosemary
150g melted butter
500ml buttermilk
7–8 cloves of fresh garlic
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
50g garlic butter
Method
Cut 1cm incisions all over the roast lamb and add the garlic cloves into the holes made.
Mix the buttermilk, salt and pepper, juice of the lemon and melted butter and baste/rub the entire roast lamb with this marinade.
Chop up fresh thyme and rosemary and cover the basted lamb with these herbs.
Roast the lamb in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours on 180°.
Brush with melted garlic butter and garnish with fresh thyme.
Serve with a side of roast vegetables.
NOTES: Make sure the roast leg of lamb is defrosted properly before preparation (remove the lamb from the refrigerator an hour prior to cooking). You can marinade the roast lamb overnight or prepare it on the same day.
*BBQ Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken
Marinade
100ml melted butter
4–5 tbs Woolworths BBQ marinade
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3–4 garlic cloves
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 heaped tsp paprika
1 and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1 heaped tsp sea salt
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp brown sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°. Marinade the whole chicken with all the ingredients – making sure to rub the marinade evenly over the chicken.
Brush with melted butter and roast in the oven for about an hour, basting with the excess marinade and butter every 15 minutes.
*Creamy Mussel Pot
1kg mussels
1 packet Knorr Creamy Garlic
100g butter
500ml fresh cream
500ml full cream milk
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp parsley
2-3 cloves fresh garlic grated
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh thyme (garnish)
Method
Rinse the mussels and boil (medium to high heat) for 10 to 15 minutes with sea salt.
Heat butter and grated garlic in a pan (medium/high heat).
Mix in the Knorr Creamy Garlic until a thick paste forms (roux).
Lower the heat and gradually add the milk and stir.
Add the fresh cream and simmer for a few minutes.
Add the mixed herbs, parsley, salt and pepper, fish and oyster sauce and simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens.