For many, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a roasted bird. It may be the full on turkey, part of a turkey (like a buffet or rolled breast), a good old chook or even a duck. Whatever way you pluck it the Combi-Steam will help you to cook it to absolute perfection. Forget those words we so often hear when it comes to poultry. Yes you know the ones, "dry" and "overcooked"! I once shared a Christmas Day with some family friends from down the street and I will never forget the sight of their dried, shrivelled and very over caramelised (yes, I meant burnt!) turkey being pulled out of the Weber! Trust me….now that you are a Combi-Steamer this will never happen to you.

Your Combination Steam or Hot Air+Steaming function is the bees knees when it comes to roasting meats that are known to dry out easily. The Hot Air part of the function provides convection heat using the elements and the fan to provide browning and crispiness. While the Steam aspect injects a lovely vapour into the oven as it cooks to maintain optimal levels of moisture at all times. Think steamy moisture getting into the inside of your food while convection heat browns the outside. The amount of steam you get may be automatically controlled by the oven or set by you. If it is automatically controlled, like it is in my brand of choice, you won't have to worry about that side of things. The temperature you set will control the amount of browning, like a regular oven, so you can really cook most things at the same temperature you always have.

You will find that often your food will cook more quickly due to the double action of the steam and the convection heat so be mindful that you may need to check things a little earlier than you have in the past. The great news here is that a roast chicken with veggies can become an easy weeknight meal, usually ready in an hour or so (depending on the size of the chicken).

You can also choose to use the probe (the little electronic thermometer that may have been a bonus with your oven) to help you check when it's just right. I always do this with my turkey to help prevent any overcooking. Simply stick the probe into the thigh of the bird (or the centre of the breast if doing a buffet), making sure it's not touching the bone, and the internal temperature of the meat will show on the oven display. You can watch it climb as it cooks.

So here is my recipe for A Perfect Roast Chicken & Veggies. You can apply exactly the same technique to cooking your turkey. Using the probe is fail safe as long as you follow the steps. A turkey will take longer than a chicken of course, so be prepared for that too. Use the weight of the chicken here as a guide and use the probe to monitor as you go.

serves 4 ish

Ingredients:
1.5kg free range chicken
4 medium all purpose potatoes (or variety suitable for roasting)
4 large carrots (cut in across ways)
2 medium brown onions
4 stalks rosemary
6 cloves garlic
1 lemon (zested & juiced)
2 tbs dried thyme
1 tbs paprika
olive oil
S&P

Method:

1. Select Combination Steam (Hot Air+Steaming) in your Combi-Steam. Set the temperature to 220°C. (For variable Steam set to 30%). Allow oven to pre-heat.

2. Line two baking trays or roasting dishes with baking paper. Get a meat rack that fits inside or on top of one of the roasting dish or tray.

3. Rinse the cavity of the chicken with cold water and pat dry. Combine approx 2 tbs olive oil with 1 tbs of lemon juice, the lemon zest, thyme and paprika. Rub mixture all over the chicken, massaging in well. Place the garlic cloves and the rosemary inside the cavity of the chicken.

4. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and place onto the rack on the dish or tray.

5. Cut the onions into quarters and remove the skin, leaving the bulb end intact to hold them together.

6. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.

7. Place the veggies in a large bowl and add 1-2 tbs of olive oil (just enough to coat) and season well with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Place the veggies on the second baking tray/dish.

8. Place the chicken into the oven towards the top and the second dish of veggies lower down.

9. Cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190°C and cook for a further 50 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear in the thigh and the meat is cooked through.

10. Remove the chicken when cooked and set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes. If the vegetables need some extra crisping or browning turn off the Steam and increase the temperature to 200°C. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

11. Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted veggies.

Tips:

*I use the pan juices mixed with a little cornflour and some S&P to make a lovely gravy on my cooktop.

Try this delicious family favourite and see how it goes. The benefits of cooking with steam and convection heat at the same time are really on show here.

I hope this helps you to obtain perfection with your poultry this Christmas. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a trial run before the big day, and who would complain about a roast chicken for dinner? It's a great way to get the hang of it. Remember to use the meat probe if you really want to get it perfect and cook to a core or internal temperature rather than by time only.

Happy Combi-Steaming.

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x