James Tanner brings his recipes for all the essential sides dishes you need for your Christmas lunch.
Ultimate roast potatoes:
Use King Edwards or Desiree potatoes
½ garlic bulb
Few sprigs of thyme
Goose fat
Pinch paprika or turmeric
Method:
1. Set oven to 200C/gas 6. Peel and chop potatoes, then par boil for 8 minute. Drain well in a colander and shake to rough up the edges.
2. Heat a roasting tray on stove top with a shallow layer of goose fat half a head of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme.
3. Tip spuds into tray and coat in fat then cook for 30-40 minutes until crisp and golden. Use sunflower oil if you do not want to use goose fat. Also, for a bit of added zing sprinkle spuds with paprika and turmeric when they are in tray just before roasting, turn occasionally during the cooking process.
Red cabbage (serves 4):
½ head (450g) red cabbage
10g butter
Grated zest and juice of half an orange
½ cinnamon stick
1 red onion finely diced
80ml Port
80ml water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Method:
1. Remove the core and outer leaves of the cabbage, cut into half and shred the halves thinly using a sharp cooks knife or use the slicing attachment and a food processor.
2. Heat a large saucepan to a medium heat and add the butter and diced onion cook for two minutes stirring constantly then add the orange zest and cinnamon stick cook for a further minute and add the shredded cabbage, port, orange juice, vinegar and water.
3. Bring to a simmer cover with a lid lower the heat slightly and cook stirring occasionally until the cabbage is just tender this will take around forty minutes.
Maple roast parsnips with red onion and sage:
2 large Parsnips
1 red onion peeled and cut into petals
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped sage
1 tbsp groundnut oil
Pinch sea salt
5g butter
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
2. Peel the parsnips and cut off the stalks, slice in half lengthways then cut each half lengthways.
3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil on your hob and blanch the parsnip pieces for five minutes in the water then drain well and set aside.
4. Next heat a large non stick frying pan on your hob to a medium heat and add the groundnut oil, lay the parsnip pieces into the pan with the onion petals and coat in the hot oil then add the butter and cook on the hob for a minute to seal the parsnip pieces on both sides.
5. Pop the pan into the pre heated oven to roast through, turn once during the roasting process cook for around 8 minutes until parsnips are golden then remove and drain excess oil put pan back on hob and pour over syrup and coat over vegetables. Sprinkle over sage, season and serve.
Pancetta and chestnut sprouts in cream (serves 4):
400g x brussel sprouts stalks removed and cut into quarters,
100g x cooked vacuum packed chestnuts chopped
3 x rashers of pancetta cut into lardons
80ml double cream
1/2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil
Method:
1. First, blanch the sprout quarters in salted boiling water for 8 minutes until just tender, drain and set aside.
2. Next heat a non stick frying pan to a medium heat, add the oil and sauté the pancetta and half the chopped chestnuts for two minutes. Add the drained sprouts, cream, thyme, season and warm through.
3. Serve in a warmed serving dish and scatter over remaining chopped chestnuts.