Christmas is one of those meals where whatever is taking centre stage — be that turkey, goose, or something else entirely — is so rarely the hero of the meal. Christmas is time when whatever is served alongside that main shines.
To that end, I’ve shared my top two side dishes below. Everyone will have their own method for really nailing a banging roast, but my recipe below is, I reckon, pretty much unbeatable. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Secondly, here’s one for cracking pigs in blankets. The dish is simple enough, but a little extra detail goes a long way — in this case, a little maple glaze that really lifts it. Give it a go — and truly, a very merry Christmas.
The ultimate roast potatoes
Food Network UK
These are crispy, crunchy, soft-in-the-middle, perfect roasties — a must for every Christmas dinner. The polenta helps achieve the crispy outer layer, while the parmesan makes them next-level savoury and incredibly moreish.
My top tips here are that hot oil is key for the golden, crispy coating, and parboiling is vital for texture. You can get ahead by parboiling the potatoes and dusting them with polenta first thing, before simply roasting them off at lunchtime.
Either way, try these and you’ll never cook your roasties any other way again. Trust me, these give perfect results every time.
Cook time: 1 hr 10 mins (including turning time)
- 2kg King Edward potatoes
- Pinch of saffron
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 150g polenta
- 4 tbsp mild olive oil
- Salt to season
- 50g grated Parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Put them in a large saucepan, cover with water and season liberally with salt, before adding the saffron and rosemary to the pan. Next, place the pan over a high heat and bring up to the boil, before reducing it to a gentle simmer. Cook the potatoes for around 15-20 minutes or until they are just cooked through.
- With a slotted spoon, gently transfer the potatoes one at a time onto a wire rack to drain and air dry for a few minutes. Sprinkle the polenta out onto a tray or large plate then roll each potato lightly in the polenta until they are all evenly coated.
- When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in the base of a large roasting tin on top of the stove. Carefully place the potatoes into the hot oil in a single layer. Sprinkle with a little salt then transfer the tray to the oven and cook the potatoes on a high shelf. After 25 minutes, remove from the oven, turn all the potatoes over and return to the oven for a further 20 to 30 minutes.
- Take the potatoes out of the oven, sprinkle with half of the Parmesan and give them a bit of a shake. Sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan and return the tin to the oven for a final five minutes. Take out of the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Then tuck in!
Food Network UK
These are easy-peasy pigs in blankets with a gorgeous maple syrup glaze. Just like with the potatoes, you could prep these the day before and put them in the fridge, then simply glaze and cook the next day. Remember to bring them up to room temperature before cooking, so they cook evenly. A Christmas favourite, these are supersized and guaranteed to go down a treat.
- 16 chipotle sausages
- 16 rashers smoked streaky bacon
- 80ml maple syrup
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- One at a time, lay the bacon rashers out flat, stretch them by scraping a knife along them, then wrap each one around a chipolata. Place on a lined oven tray until you have 16 bacon wrapped sausages.
- Brush each one with maple syrup and put the tray into the oven on a high shelf for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, turn each sausage over and brush again with maple syrup. Return the tray to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Transfer the pigs in blankets to a serving dish and brush with any remaining maple syrup before serving. Dive in — they’ll go quickly.