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1 month ago
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Sides at Christmas so often flounder in the chaos that comes with tradition. “Turkey with all the trimmings” means you have to have roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets as a minimum, and they all end up being deeply average. I could go on and on about why I don’t cook turkey in my house, but the thought of doing a big “set-piece” meal on C-day is definitely a big reason. Truthfully, it is hard to cook that many things well at the same time; home kitchens aren’t made for it, and neither are we, the cooks. So give yourself a break and choose two or three knockout sides. Aim for a range of textures – one crisp, one creamy, one juicy – and methods (you don’t have to roast everything), and you won’t go back to boring again.
Sherry-braised parsnips with chorizo
Parsnips are so often confined to the realms of roasting but, like every other starchy root, they have a lot more to offer. Their toffee sweetness is their strength, so it’s a good idea to pair them with deeply savoury things such as dry sherry and chorizo. Ovens are already at breaking point on Christmas Day, so it’s nice to have a stove-top option, too.
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 6
225g good-quality chorizo, sliced
2 shallots, peeled and diced
50g unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
800g parsnips, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
300ml dry sherry
350ml hot chicken stock
Salt and black pepper
Zest of ½ lemon
1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Put the chorizo in a cold, large, wide casserole pan with a lid, and as you bring it up to a medium heat, it will release its fat. Once sizzling, cook the chorizo for about three minutes a side, until just crisp and browned, then remove and set aside, keeping the fat in the pan. Add the shallots and butter, and fry for about five minutes, until translucent.
Add the garlic and rosemary, cook for a minute, then add the parsnips and fry for a couple of minutes, turning them often and making sure they are evenly coated. Pour in the sherry, bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the stock, return the chorizo to the pan and season generously. The parsnips will not be completely covered in the braising liquid, and that’s fine. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, turning the parsnips a few times. (Their thin, pointy ends might soften quicker than the other pieces, so check and lift out if they are done.) Take off the lid for the final five minutes of cooking.
When the parsnips are knife tender, turn off the heat, check the seasoning and stir in the lemon zest and a couple of glugs of sherry vinegar. Pile the parsnips and chorizo on a platter, stir the chopped parsley into the sauce and drizzle all over.
Make ahead
Do this up to two days ahead, but don’t add the vinegar and herbs until you have reheated the parsnips and are about to serve.
Swaps
Waxy potatoes, celeriac, swede or turnip would all work beautifully instead of parsnips.
To make this vegetarian, leave out the chorizo and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the garlic, and switch the chicken stock for veg stock.
Roast potatoes with chilli, basil and garlic
Everyone says it, but I don’t care: my mum makes the best roast potatoes. I learned from her the cornerstones of my roast potato philosophy, which are: fully boil, not parboil; lots of salt and lots of oil; and they take as long as they take – you work for the potatoes, the potatoes don’t work for you. Roasties are not an exact science – ovens behave differently, and have cold and hot spots, potatoes have different sugar contents and cook at different rates, and some people like crunchy small bits, while others like a crunchy-fluffy hybrid. As a rough guide, though, they should take about an hour and 20 minutes in the oven, so long as nothing else is going in and out.
Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 6
2kg maris piper (or yukon gold) potatoes, peeled and cut into large, even-sized chunks
600ml vegetable oil
Flaky sea salt
20g fresh basil leaves, shredded
2 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
2 red chillies, very finely diced
Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Salt the water generously – it should be salty like soup – bring to a boil, then simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the thickest potatoes are tender. Some will start to crumble, but that’s OK. Drain, gently shake in the colander to fluff up the edges, then transfer to a couple of trays and leave to cool and steam-dry completely.
Heat the oven to 230C (210C fan)/450F/gas 8). Divide the oil between two or three large, deep roasting trays and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until shimmering. Working with one tray at a time, carefully lay some of the cooled potatoes in the hot oil, turn to coat, sprinkle with salt, then pop back in the oven and repeat with the remaining tray(s) and potatoes; don’t overcrowd the potatoes, or they will steam rather than roast. After 20 minutes, again working with one tray at a time, turn over the potatoes. Repeat every 20 minutes, lifting out any potatoes that are deep golden and cooked to your liking as you do so.
Drain the cooked roasties on kitchen paper, then transfer to a platter. Scatter over the basil, garlic and chilli while the potatoes are still hot, toss and serve.
Make ahead
Boil and cool the potatoes up to 24 hours ahead, and store uncovered in the fridge so they dry out and don’t sweat. You can also roast them up to six hours before dinner and reheat – they hold well.
Swaps
Leave out the dressing, or switch the basil for parsley and the chilli for lemon zest, for a more mellow take.
Cavolo nero, leek and brussels sprout gratin
I am not a huge brussels sprouts gal, but in this gratin with fragrant leeks, soft cavolo nero and plenty of cheese and cream, they are pretty irresistible. I also love the idea of bunging three types of vegetables into one dish – it follows that weird Christmas rule of having loads of different vegetable sides, but requires a lot less work and oven space.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min
Rest 10 min
Serves 6
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
450g leeks (about 3 medium ones), washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
400g brussels sprouts, hard ends trimmed and any dark/damaged leaves removed, the rest finely shredded
300g cavolo nero, stems removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
900ml double cream
70g parmesan, finely grated
Nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 bunch fresh tarragon, leaves stripped and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Put the oil and butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the leeks, saute for about five minutes to soften, then add the sprouts and cavolo nero, and stir in a tablespoon of water. Cover the pan and leave to cook, stirring every so often, for 10 minutes, until the veg are soft.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Mix the cream with half the parmesan, then add a good grating of nutmeg, the salt, pepper, mustard, tarragon and garlic.
Drain any excess liquid from the vegetables, then spoon them into a baking dish – I use a large, round, cast-iron one. Pour the cream mixture over the veg in batches, stirring slightly and letting it settle and disperse evenly as you do so. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes,. Lift off the foil, cook for another 20 minutes, then remove and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Make ahead
Assemble and keep this in the fridge for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Cook the gratin up to 24 hours before and reheat, covered, at 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 30-40 minutes.
Swaps
Leave out any of the vegetables and make up their weight with more of the others. I love making this with savoy cabbage and slow-cooked onions, too.
Rosie Mackean’s book, Good Time Cooking: Show-Stopping Menus for Easy Entertaining, is published by Pavilion Books at £26. To order a copy for £23.40, visit guardianbookshop.com
