Roast Recipes for the Holidays
If you’re still undecided about the main event for your festive table, here are a host of roast recipes for the holidays to keep everyone happy. From regal roast leg of lamb to succulent beef fillet, the best gammon and all the chicken recipes you could possibly need, here are all the blog favourites rolled into one, easy to navigate post. Happy holidays, friends!
If you’re new to the land of brown butter and truffle honey, this roast Leg of Lamb with Brown Butter Truffle Honey will more than compensate for any forgone depravation. A roast leg of lamb evokes a sense of occasion, the kind that encourages lingering around the table, whether for a casual Sunday roast, Easter or any other time that necessitates a splendid food centre piece.
While slow roasting requires time and patience, the preparation is hardly any effort at all. After the initial overnight marination, it’s into the oven for a few slow hours under a lazy eye. The reward? Meltingly tender meat that you can cut with a spoon. Because slow roasted lamb yields willingly, I prefer to pull the meat into uneven chunks rather than neatly carved slices. You’ll find the recipe for my Roast Lamb with Saffron here.
Fall off the bone tender, North African Lamb Knuckle Pie from Bibby’s Kitchen cookbook. The Parmesan pastry topping is unexpected and lends a perfect salty contrast to the sweetness of the lamb.
An all time favourite on the website, Roast Leg of Lamb with Sweet Onion Marmalade.
Marinated overnight in garlic and earthy spices, this slow roast lamb shank shawarma is worth getting excited about. The meat is meltingly tender with a jammy onion gravy. This year, rather than a roast leg of lamb, I’ve decided on shanks but, the recipe is adaptable for either cut. Lamb is especially good paired with warming spices redolent of the Middle East.
And if you’re heading outdoors and lighting the coals for a more relaxed gathering, Marinated Spiced lamb chops with a zippy herb yoghurt may be just the ticket.
If you’re seeking a comforting main rather than a traditional roast, my North African Lamb Knuckle Casserole ticks all the boxes. I’ve used lamb knuckles for the recipe. They’re fatty and gelatinous with a gentler taste than mutton. You could of course use lamb shanks or boneless lamb pieces. Bear in mind though, that meat on the bone with some fattiness with deepen the flavour of the casserole.
The quandary of what to do with leftovers, besides sandwiches, that it. The Bibby’s Shepherd’s Pie has become quite the thing for post Christmas day celebrations. It’s homely and deeply delicious. So too is the Cheat’s Lamb Tagine.
How to cook the perfect gammon
The Gammon recipe I make year after year. It’s that good. Why fix it when it ain’t broke? Here’s my ever popular Maple Glazed Gammon.
Fillet of Beef Recipes
Find all the tips and tricks to cooking the most succulent Fillet of Beef every time. The salsa verde is the perfect summer time accompaniment.
The perfect roast fillet of beef with red wine jus.
And for the ultimate indulgence, you may like this Buttery Soft Wagyu Fillet.
Roast Chicken and Casserole Recipes
Lemony with a kick of spice, Mexican pan roast chicken from the first cookbook, Bibby’s Kitchen.
Somewhat retro but a classic for good reason. Stuffed with sundried tomatoes, basil and ricotta, these Bacon Wrapped Chicken fillets are ideal if you’re hosting for an more intimate gathering. The Parmesan sauce is delectable.
A sublime chicken dish, Sticky Chicken with Fennel and grapes. Perfect for lazy summer days, with crusty bread for mopping up those sweet juices, and a chilled glass of your favourite Babylonstoren Rosé.
For this recipe I wanted to incorporate the flavours of chakalaka but with a smoother textured sauce. That’s where the marinade comes in. Chakalaka, fresh ginger, soy sauce, molasses sugar and lemon makes up the paste. I add it all to the blender and whizz it together. The taste is mildly sweet and spicy. Marinating the bird overnight is best but not essential. If you only have an hour to spare, that’ll do. As the chicken roasts all the pan juices coat the potatoes and they cook down marmitey and delicious.
An ever popular roast chicken recipe that’s as easy as it delicious, Rosemary and Paprika Roast Chicken.
Spatchcocking the bird isn’t half as gruesome as it may sound. For first time spatch-cockers, sit the bird on its bottom and cut decisively down on either side of the backbone. Twist off the centre piece and use for stock or chicken soup, if you’re feeling savvy. Turn the chicken over and press down firmly in the centre to flatten. The upside to this Prego Chicken Spatchcock., is the quick roasting time, but more importantly, ensuring the prego paste permeates ever nook and cranny.
Not a roast recipe, but so good, especially for holiday cooking when you need delicious and simple over effort or extravagance. Chicken and Leek Casserole from Bibby’s Kitchen – The Essence of Good Food.
There’s no question, butter makes everything better, as it does for here. Buttered roast chicken with sweet potaotes and sticky garlic. Uncomplicated roasting at its best.
