Most Kiwis like it hot (+recipes)

The taste of tradition lingers at the Kiwi Christmas dinner table with Northern Hemisphere dishes dominating the menu.
Hot roast meat and vegetables are preferred by most New Zealanders - even though the sun is blazing down outside and Yuletide snow is confined to cards and carols.
For several years, turkey was my family's traditional Christmas roast. Served with a variety of roast vegetables, steamed beans and asparagus plus cranberry sauce, it was considered very special. However, today I think the traditional leg of lamb is perhaps more exclusive. It is no longer the standard family Sunday roast. Lamb has become an expensive luxury to be served on special occasions.
Whatever your choice of meat, it is wise to chat to your butcher about your requirements for Christmas. You might want a butterflied leg of lamb to stuff and roll, or a boned-out chicken. Hams often need to be ordered in advance. Your butcher will appreciate advance notice.
If you're planning to cook a turkey that has been frozen, allow time for it to thaw in the refrigerator. Turkeys weighing about 3kg take one to two days to thaw, those of 6kg three days.
The smaller turkeys cook in about two and a half hours at 160C. Turkeys of 6kg take about three hours.
A 2.5kg turkey will feed eight people, a 6kg turkey about 16.
Ensure there are lots of trimmings to serve with your meats, including gravy. Here some suggestions.
Lamb: Mint and kiwifruit salsa, mint jelly, red current jelly, red pepper and rosemary jelly.
Beef, Ham, Pork: Two or three different flavoured mustards, fruit chutneys, fruit pastes, mustard sauce, yorkshire pudding.
Turkey, Chicken: Cranberry sauce prepared from frozen cranberries, prunes wrapped in bacon, bread sauce, pomegranate syrup, corn bread.
RECIPES
Oven bag turkey with pomegranate molasses
Pomegranate molasses (syrup) provides an interesting tang. If unavailable, use apple syrup.
1 tbsp flour
2.5kg turkey
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing: 2 rashers bacon
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp prepared wholegrain mustard
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sauce: 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
Preheat oven to 180C. Choose a large oven bag. Add a tablespoon of flour and shake to coat the inside of the bag. Arrange in a shallow baking dish.
Remove giblets from the turkey. Season the turkey inside and out.
Grill or panfry the bacon, until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble or chop into small pieces.
Combine the stuffing ingredients. Spoon into the turkey's body and neck cavities. If there is not enough stuffing for the neck, use a small onion. Truss or tie the bird. Place in the oven bag.
Combine the pomegranate molasses and mustard. Spoon or brush over the turkey. Tie the bag and punch a few holes in the top or according to the packet's instructions.
Bake for 2-2 1/2 hours. Cover loosely and stand for 15 minutes. Excellent served with cranberry sauce plus prunes wrapped in bacon and grilled. Serves about 8.
Hazelnut & rosemary-crusted lamb

1.8kg leg of lamb
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
50g butter, grated
1/2 cup skinned hazelnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups Essential Cuisine lamb stock or similar
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp chopped Kalamata olives
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 160C. Trim the lamb of any excess fat. Lightly score the top as you would a ham.
In a bowl, rub together the breadcrumbs, garlic, rosemary, butter and hazelnuts. Press on to the scored lamb. Place in a roasting dish.
Roast for 45 minutes per 500g. Remove from the oven. Set the lamb aside - loosely covered with foil - for 15 minutes.
Combine the stock, rosemary and olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Season and serve the lamb sliced with the sauce on the side. Serves 6.

Moroccan beef with roasted tomatoes & balsamic glaze
Make a sauce or gravy by reducing a cup each of beef stock and red wine with a few herbs, until thickened. Whisk in 25g of butter just before serving.
1kg whole beef eye fillet, trimmed
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp Moroccan spices
12-16 vine tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3-4 cups rocket
6-8 tbsp good quality balsamic glaze
Brush the beef with a little oil and sprinkle with the Moroccan spices.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Place the beef on a rack. Grill for about 8-10 minutes each side, depending on thickness. Remove from the heat - loosely cover with foil - and rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes to set.
Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a 190C oven until warm and just split.
To serve, place the rocket on the serving plates and drizzle with the balsamic glaze. Top with the tomatoes and slices of beef. Serves 6-8.
Tests for doneness:
Try the "hand" test to determine the "doneness" of your beef. When pressed, rare beef feels soft and spongy similar to when, with your hand relaxed, you press the area between your thumb and forefinger. Medium beef feels firmer and springs back, as your hand feels when you flex your fingers and press the same area. Well-done beef feels very firm, as your hand feels when you clench your fist and press this area.
Ham glazed with plum sauce & ginger
5-6kg cooked ham on the bone
2-3 tbsp whole cloves
1 1/4 cups good-quality plum sauce
1 tbsp grated root ginger
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Preheat the oven to 160C. Make a zigzag cut through the skin around the shank of the ham. Carefully pull the skin off the ham, leaving the shank intact. Or insert your hand under the skin and prise off.
With the tip of a sharp knife, score across the fat covering the ham. Turn the ham at right angles, and score again to form a diamond pattern. Stud each diamond with a clove. Place in a roasting pan.
Warm the sauce slightly. Stir in the ginger. Brush evenly over the ham.
If the ham is to be served hot, cook for 10 minutes per 500g, basting often. If the ham is to be served cold, bake for about 45 minutes in total. Baste often. Remove when the ham is rich in colour. Sprinkle the top with seeds. Serves about 25.
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