We know that many of you are fans of the red meat roast – our recent story on Butcher’s Winter favourites was popular! Still, we all like to change things up in the kitchen from time to time, and some prefer to avoid red meat altogether, so we headed back to Bracher Arcade for roasting tips from our poulterers and fishmongers. They’ve got more than a few very tasty tips for the perfect winter feast.
For John at John Cester’s it is all about Quail this Winter.
“Our Quail is from Lago in Victoria and they make for such a delicious roast. If you portion out two quail per person that usually works well. My recommendation is to butterfly the quail and marinate with oil, lemon, pepper and white wine. Put the quail bone side down on a tray and cook in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for approximately 30 minutes.”
The Hapuka portion is Sean of Perwinkle Fine Seafoods’ go-to.
“For a good roast, you want to use a fish that is a bit oily and juicy. I really like our Hapuka, which is from the Tasmania and South Australia regions.
“For the tastiest roast, marinade the Hapuka with peanut oil (or alternative if necessary), a few drops of white wine, salt and pepper. Wrap the skin side of the fish in foil. On a baking tray put finely chopped onion, garlic, half a carrot, and a tomato cut into quarters. These flavours will infuse into the fish while cooking and can be served with the fish if desired. Put the fish on the tray and cook in a pre-heated 180-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, based on 1/2kg of fish.”
For a super easy roast, Stella recommends their Free Range Butterfly Chicken.
“The Butterfly Chicken comes in an oven bag so you can just cook it in that. It makes it super easy and no mess! It is available in five different flavours – Greek, Lemon Pepper, Perri Perri, Yoghurt Tandoori and Thai Lemon, Lime and Chilli. Just cook in a 180-degree oven for 45-55 minutes and you can serve it with the traditional roast potatoes and veg or rice for a lighter meal.”
Peter at Prahran Seafoods loves a whole Kingfish roasted.
“A whole Kingfish will typically serve 4-5 people, so it is a perfect family meal. I make a marinade of soy sauce, ginger and spring onion and rub it on the fish before putting into a pre-heated oven. It will take anything between 20-45 minutes to cook, depending on the size of the fish but as a guide, a 1.2kg fish will take approximately 35 minutes. When cooked, turn the oven off but leave the fish in for five minutes to rest while the oven cools. Serve on top of roasted potatoes, capsicum and zucchini.”
Arthur at Arthur’s Quality Poultry says Spatchcock is his favourite roast of the moment.
“Our Spatchcocks are from Victoria and they are so delicious. I recommend to customers that they can wrap the spatchcock in bacon or prosciutto prior to cooking. Not only does it add more flavour but it keeps the moisture in, which can be important when you are working with a smaller bird. They weigh 500-600g each so roast them in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes.”
Whole Snapper is Peter at Claringbolds Seafoods’ favourite fish for roasting.
“I love a Greek style roast snapper,” says Peter. “Make a mixture of olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Rub it all over the skin of the fish and put some lemon wedges in the cavity. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees – approx. 10 minutes for every 1/2kg. To check it is cooked, put a knife into the fish where the dorsal fin is at the back. If the meat comes away easily from the bone it is ready. Make some of the previous mixture to taste and drizzle over the fish. Serve with roasted potatoes and veg.”
At Kevin’s Fresh Poultry, a traditional Free Range Chicken is Irene’s roast of choice.
“You can’t go past a traditional roast chicken. Put the chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting dish and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees. As a guide, cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes per 500g, or 17-22 minutes for a fan-forced oven. Your chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees. You can also tell by checking that the juices run clear. And, one of the best things about roast chicken is, you can buy a slightly bigger one than you need and then enjoy roast chicken sandwiches the following day.”
