Ingredients
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
4 (about 120-180g each) duck breasts
1 tsp olive oil
· Plum sauce
150ml red wine
2 tbs brandy
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 orange, juiced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbs redcurrant jelly
825g can plums, drained, pureed
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Crush the salt and peppercorns together in a mortar and pestle. Use a small, sharp knife to score the skin of the duck breasts (this allows the fat to soak into the breasts and tenderise the meat). Spread the salt and pepper over each duck breast.
Heat the oil in a non-stick oven-proof frying pan over medium heat. Add the duck, skin-side down, and cook for 6-8 minutes (don’t let it colour too quickly). Turn the breasts over and place the pan in the oven for a further 5 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and baste with the fat in the pan. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
To make the sauce, place the wine, brandy and spices in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add orange juice, then return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, redcurrant jelly and plum puree. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise and pour over the duck.

Ingredients
2-2.5kg duck
· Cherry sauce
1 orange, zested, juiced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
60ml (1/4 cup) port
410g can pitted cherries
1 tbs cornflour
Method
Preheat oven to 230°C. Wash duck inside and out, then pat dry all over with paper towel. Use kitchen string to tie its legs firmly together. Place on a wire rack over a roasting tray. Use a metal or wooden skewer to prick the skin all over (allows the fat to drain off). Cook in the middle shelf of the oven for 1 3/4 hours.
Twice during the cooking time, use an oven baster or spoon to remove excess fat from the roasting pan (store this in the fridge and use later to fry or roast potatoes). Remove the duck from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to rest before carving.
Turn duck onto its breast and carve use a flexible knife to carve down both sides of the backbone. Discard the backbone. Cut off the legs, then cut the breast meat away from the breastbone, keeping the knife close to the bone. Cut leg in two between the thigh and the drumstick. Cut the breast in two, or slice.
To make the cherry sauce, place the orange juice and zest, ginger, soy sauce, lemon juice, port and cherries (reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice from the canned cherries) in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. In a small bowl or glass, combine the reserved cherry juice with the cornflour and stir into the sauce. Cook for a further minute until the sauce thickens. Serve with the sliced duck.

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 tbs olive oil
1.2kg-piece beef eye fillet
3 sheets (25 x 25cm) frozen ready-rolled butter puff pastry, just thawed
1 egg, lightly whisked
Olive oil, extra, to grease
1 x 135g btl olive tapenade
20g butter
1 tbs plain flour
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
125ml (1/2 cup) red wine
1 tsp dried tarragon

Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool completely.
Place 1 pastry sheet on a clean work surface. Brush 1 edge with egg. Place another pastry sheet, slightly overlapping, alongside and press the edges together to seal. Cut the remaining pastry sheet in half. Brush 1 long edge of the 2 joined pastry sheets with egg. Place 1 long edge of one-half of the remaining pastry, slightly overlapping, alongside and press the edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry to make 1 large pastry rectangle.
Brush a baking tray with extra oil to lightly grease. Spread one-quarter of the tapenade along the centre of the pastry and top with the beef. Spread the remaining tapenade over the beef. Fold the pastry over the beef to enclose. Trim any excess pastry. Tuck the sides of pastry under to secure. Place the beef Wellington, seam-side down, on the tray. Brush the pastry with the remaining egg.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Roast the beef Wellington in oven for 1 hour for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a serving platter.
Pour any juices from the tray into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until the butter melts. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Gradually add the stock and wine, whisking constantly until combined. Stir in the tarragon. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, scraping the pan to dislodge any bits that have cooked onto the base, for 5 minutes or until the gravy thickens. Transfer to a serving jug and serve with the beef Wellington.

Ingredients (serves 12)
3.5kg seasoned turkey breast roll (see note)
80g butter, softened
1/3 cup fig or plum jam
2 limes, rind finely grated
1 ham rind (see tip)
Method
Place an oven rack below the centre of the oven so the roasting pan will sit in the centre of oven. Preheat oven to 180°C. Select a roasting pan large enough to contain turkey (sides should be 4cm high).
Wipe turkey with paper towel (do not wash, as this removes the natural fats that keep the turkey moist). Place on a rack in roasting pan.
Place butter, jam and lime rind in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and beat until well combined. Spread half the butter mixture over turkey. Cover with non-stick baking paper, then ham rind (alternatively, cover pan with foil). Roast turkey for 1 hour 30 minutes, lifting ham rind and paper to baste with remaining butter mixture every 30 minutes.
Remove turkey from oven. Increase oven to 200°C. Remove ham rind and baking paper and baste turkey with pan juices. Roast turkey, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes or until golden and just cooked (juices should run clear when thickest part of turkey is pierced with a skewer). Remove turkey from pan and place on a warmed plate. Cover loosely with foil and stand for 20 minutes. Serve.

Ingredients (serves
5.5kg turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
gravy, to serve
· Bacon stuffing
50g butter, chopped
1 leek, trimmed, halved, washed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 rindless Primo shortcut bacon rashers, chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons shredded fresh sage leaves
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Method
Make stuffing: Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add bacon. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek has softened. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in prune, walnut, sage and breadcrumbs.
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Discard neck from turkey. Rinse turkey (including cavity) under cold water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towel. Loosely fill neck cavity with stuffing. Secure skin over neck cavity with toothpicks to enclose stuffing. Loosely fill large cavity with remaining stuffing. Secure skin over cavity with toothpicks. Tie legs together with kitchen string.

Place turkey on a greased wire rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups cold water into pan. Brush turkey with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pan tightly with lightly greased foil. Roast for 2 hours. Remove foil. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes or until turkey is browned and juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Stand for 10 minutes. Remove and discard toothpicks and string. Serve with gravy.

Ingredients (serves
2.5kg boned loin of pork, rind scored
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
8 small red apples
2 1/2 tbs plain flour
2 cups (500ml) beef stock
100g cabernet or quince paste
· Raisin and walnut seasoning
1/3 cup (65g) raisins
1/2 cup (125ml) dry red wine
30g butter
1 tbs olive oil
2 medium leeks, pale section only, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g pancetta, chopped
1/4 cup chopped sage
1/3 cup (45g) chopped walnuts
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 1/2 cups (175g) fresh breadcrumbs (made with day-old bread)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Method
To make the raisin and walnut seasoning, place the raisins in a small bowl and pour over wine. Set aside for 4 hours or overnight to soak. Drain well, reserving the wine and setting aside for the gravy.
Heat the butter and oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and pancetta and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until pancetta browns. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the raisins, sage, walnuts, lemon rind, breadcrumbs and egg, and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 220°C. Place the pork, skin-side down, on a clean work surface and use a sharp knife to cut a vertical slit through the thickest part without cutting all the way through. Open out pork to form one large piece. Place stuffi ng down the centre of the pork. Starting at the thick end, roll up pork firmly to enclose filling. Secure with kitchen string at 2cm intervals. Place pork in a roasting pan. Rub pork skin with oil and salt. Roast, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until rind begins to crackle. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C and roast for a further 1 hour.
Use a small, sharp knife to pierce the bottom of each apple a few times. Arrange apples around the pork. Roast for a further 30-35 minutes or until apples and pork are cooked through.
Transfer to a tray and cover with foil to keep warm while making gravy. Discard all but 2 tbs of fat from the roasting pan and place over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until mixture begins to bubble. Gradually add reserved wine and stock and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until gravy boils and thickens. Add cabernet or quince paste and stir until it melts. Strain into a jug. Serve slices of pork with roast apples, celeriac puree and watercress salad (see related recipes).

Ingredients (serves 12)
1 1/2 cups (375ml) fresh orange juice
1/2 cup (125ml) fresh lime juice
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
11 star anise
2 tsp soy sauce
5.5kg-6kg easy carve smoked shoulder or leg ham
4 oranges, peeled, cut into 5mm slices
Whole cloves
Stir the juices and sugar in a saucepan over a medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, ginger and 3 star anise. Simmer for 30 minutes. Cool in fridge for 1-2 hours. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Stir the soy sauce.
Use a small sharp knife to cut around the ham shank in a zig-zag pattern about 10cm from the end. Run your fingers between the rind and fat to remove. Trim the fat to 1cm thick.
Put the oven shelf in the lowest position. Preheat to 180°C. Place a wire rack in a roasting pan. Place ham on the rack. Wrap shank in foil. Add a little water to pan. Brush 1/4 cup of glaze over the ham.
Arrange the orange slices, overlapping, on top. Secure each slice with a clove. Brush half the glaze over the top. Place the star anise on top of oranges. Secure the points of the star. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Brush occasionally with remaining glaze. Serve hot or cold.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1.5kg whole fresh chicken
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
· Mushroom, leek & bacon stuffing
1 tbs olive oil
100g button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 bacon rashers, rind removed, finely chopped
1 leek, pale section only, washed, finely chopped
70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
1 egg, lightly whisked
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, bacon and leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the bacon and mushroom is golden. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley and egg and stir until combined.
Remove excess fat and giblets from chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Loosely fill the cavity with stuffing mixture. Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie the legs together. Tuck wings under. Place chicken, breast-side up in a roasting pan. Drizzle over the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme.
Roast in oven for 1 1/2 hours or until golden and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest before carving. Serve

Ingredients (serves 23)
12 small (about 1.2kg) red onions, topped, peeled
200g (1 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
60g (3 tbs) butter, melted
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 dried bay leaves
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches (12 bulbs) spring onions, roots trimmed, stems trimmed to 8cm
1 8kg leg of ham, on the bone
1 480g jar ginger marmalade
125ml (1/2 cup) port
Cloves, to decorate
2 tbs drained green peppercorns
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place an oven shelf in the lowest position and remove the other shelves.
Place red onions in an ovenproof dish. Combine sugar, butter, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and bay leaves in a heatproof jug. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the red onions and toss to coat. Cover with foil. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Add spring onions and cook, covered, for a further 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook, for a further 30 minutes or until onions are tender. Cover with foil and set aside until required.
Unwrap ham, rinse briefly under cold water and pat dry with paper towel.
Use a small sharp knife to cut around ham shank in a zigzag pattern, about 10cm from end. Carefully run knife under rind around edge of ham. Gently lift rind in 1 piece, running your fingers between rind and fat where still joined. Lift rind off in 1 piece, wrap in a damp tea towel and place in the fridge. Use for storing leftover ham (see note).
Trim excess fat from ham, leaving a 1cm-thick covering all over. Use a knife to score fat in a diamond pattern, 5mm deep. Pour a small amount of water in a roasting pan. Place ham on a wire rack in the pan. Wrap overhanging shank in foil to prevent juices dripping into oven.
To make the glaze, heat the marmalade in a saucepan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until melted and just beginning to bubble. Add port and mix until combined. Pour half the glaze over ham, using a spatula to spread evenly over surface. Stud each diamond with a clove. Add peppercorns to remaining glaze. Bake ham in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Remove from oven. Increase heat to 220°C. Pour remaining glaze over ham and spread evenly. Turn pan 180°, bake for a further 20 minutes or until well browned. Remove from oven. Rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, return roast onions to oven and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Carve the ham (see note) and serve with the roast onions.

Ingredients (serves 12)
2.5kg boned rolled loin of pork
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs sea salt flakes
12 small (about 100g each) red apples
20g butter
40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
125ml (1/2 cup) apple juice
125ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 220°C. Use a knife to score pork rind, crossways, to the fat layer, at 2cm intervals. Place the pork, rind-side up, in a roasting pan. Brush with oil. Rub salt into cuts in rind. Roast in oven for 30 minutes or until rind crackles. Reduce temperature to 180°C. Place apples around pork. Roast for a further 1 1/4 hours. Transfer pork and apples to a serving platter. Cover with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
Strain pan juices into a heatproof jug. Melt butter in roasting pan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour, cinnamon and Chinese five spice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Gradually add pan juices, stock, apple juice and wine and cook, scraping pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon to dislodge any bits on base, for 5-6 minutes or until gravy boils. Season with salt and pepper. Strain into a heatproof jug.
Carve pork across the grain into thin slices. Serve with apples and gravy.