Let's get roasting

Orange-spiced Roast Turkey
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
TURKEY:
5 kg turkey
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tsp 7-spice powder
5 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
A pinch of nutmeg powder
1/2 cup butter
1 large orange, halved
1 bay leaf
6-8 rosemary sprigs
2 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 onions, quartered
2 garlic bulbs
4 cups water or chicken stock
GRAVY:
1/4 cup turkey fat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup turkey dripping, fat separated
1 cup chicken stock salt freshly ground black pepper A sprig of rosemary
Method
Brine the turkey in the fridge for 24 hours, this process will tenderize and give your bird a wonderful citrus flavour base. Pat dry your turkey thoroughly with a paper towel.
In a small bowl, prepare the marinade by combining olive oil, 7-spice powder, salt, black pepper powder, white pepper powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg. Rub the mix all over the turkey to thoroughly season the bird.
Using your fingers, slowly peel the skin covering the turkey's breast and spoon the butter between the skin and breast. Stuff the stomach of the turkey with 1 orange, 1 bay leaf, 4 sprigs of rosemary, some chopped celery, carrots and onions, and garlic bulbs.
Preheat the oven to the maximum temperature. Place the turkey on a large roasting tray. Surround with the remaining chopped celery, carrots, onions, garlic, rosemary, and remaining giblets and neck. Cover with a tinfoil, place in the oven on the lowest rack, and roast at maximum heat for 20 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 160°C and continue roasting for about 3 hours, and baste the bird every 20-30 minutes to ensure the meat does not dry. Remove the foil in the last 45 minutes to brown the turkey.
When the turkey is cooked, remove from roasting pan on to serving plate, cover with tinfoil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
To make the gravy, transfer the roasting pan to the stove and remove the giblets and the neck. Add 1 cup of water or stock and on medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer, scrapping the bits from the side of the roasting pan.
Strain the liquid into a measuring cup and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. This process will allow the fat to separate and harden, making it easier to skim off the fat.
In a small saucepan, add about 1/4 cup of the fat, heat on medium-high heat and whisk in the flour until light brown to make a roux. Add the turkey dripping and 1 cup of chicken stock. Whisk ingredients until sauce thickens. Add a bit more chicken stock if you want the gravy to be thinner. Season with salt and pepper.
TIP: Weigh the bird to determine cooking time (approximately 20 minutes for every 500 g).

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon and Tahini Sauce
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1/2 head of cabbage s
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
LEMON AND TAHINI SAUCE:
1 cup tahini paste
2 lemon, juiced
2/3 cup water
1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 tsp sea salt freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH:
1 cup mixed sprouts, for garnish
Method
Preheat oven at 200°C. Cut half a head of cabbage into 6 or 8 equal-sized wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Flip the cabbage wedges and do the same on the other side.
Bake the cabbage for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Roast until tender and golden-brown.
To make the sauce, combine the tahini paste and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly add the water to this, whisking until the sauce has a light, creamy consistency. Season with chilli powder, sea salt and pepper.
Serve the roasted cabbage on a platter and top with a drizzle of the lemon and tahini sauce, and garnish with mixed sprouts. Serve hot or cold.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2 kg potatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp minced garlic
1-2 sprigs of rosemary, roughly chopped
4 tbsp all-purpose flour salt freshly ground black pepper
Method
Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes. Add the potatoes into a large pot and fill with cold water. Place the pot on high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once the water has boiled, cook the potatoes for an additional 6 minutes until they are parboiled.
Drain the parboiled potatoes into a colander; season with salt and pepper, and toss in flour so that all the potato cubes are lightly coated and fluffed. This is how the potatoes get their crispy texture.
Preheat oven at 250°C. Pour oil into a baking sheet and place in the oven to heat until it is very hot. (The baking pan needs to be large enough so that all the potatoes are in a single layer.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and add chopped garlic and rosemary to the heated oil. Mix together for the flavours to infuse. You will hear a wonderful sizzle at this point. Add in the parboiled potatoes and toss the ingredients together until the potatoes are coated, and evenly spread in the baking sheet.
Lower the oven temperature to 220°C and roast the potatoes in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, until the potatoes are golden-brown in colour. Halfway through baking time, toss the potatoes with a spatula to ensure all sides are evenly brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon and Tahini Sauce