Belinda's Best - Side Dishes for Roasts - Autumn/Winter
Whilst our slow-grown Sutton Hoo Chicken may be the centrepiece of a Roast Dinner, it isn’t complete without the accompanying side dishes. Below are a few of our favourite go-to extras to help make every roast dinner even more special.
Classic Goose-Fat Roast Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Maris Piper Potatoes (around 1 potato per person)
- 1 Tbsp Goose Fat
- Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Cut your potatoes in half/thirds and place in a pan of boiling water.
2. Par-boil for 10-12 minutes.
3. Drain, and shake around in the pan a little bit to rough up the edges – this helps give you a really crispy skin.
4. Put a tablespoon of goose fat on an oven tray and place in the pre-heated oven (180-200°C) for a couple of minutes to melt.
5. Add the potatoes to the tray (be careful – they may splash the hot goose fat), season well with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Ingredients:
- Carrots (1/2-1 per person)
- Parsnips (1/2-1 per person)
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Salt and Pepper
- Sage leaves
Method:
1. Peel the carrots and parsnips, and if large cut into batons and place on a baking tray.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and around a tablespoon of honey (depending on preference). Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Cook in the oven for 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally to avoid the honey burning.
Serve with fresh sage leaves.
Garlic BrusselS Sprouts
Ingredients:
- Brussels Sprouts (4-6 per person)
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- Butter
- Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Peel the outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts and cut a tiny ‘x’ into the bottom.
2. Place in a pan of boiling water and par boil for 4-5 minutes.
3. In a pan, melt the butter on a low heat. Add the sprouts and fry until the outsides are crispy.
4. Add to the pan the garlic cloves from your roast chicken.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Creamed Leeks
Ingredients:
- 4 - 6 leeks, depending on size.
- 30 g butter
- 400 ml double cream
- 75 g grayed parmesan
- Salt and Pepper
Method:
First you need to prepare the leeks by washing them thoroughly. Top and tail and remove the outer darkest leaf. Cut down the length and the across to get half moon shapes. Immerse the cut leeks into a bowl of water, agitate and leave for 10 minutes.
In a high sided pan ideally with a lid, melt the butter over a gentle heat. Drain the leeks and add to the pan, stir and leave to sauté gently for 15 - 20 minutes until they are lovely and soft and smelling sweet. This is important that they are cooked until soft. Under cooked leeks aren't that pleasant.
Add the cream and grated Parmesan and season with sea salt and black pepper. Ready to serve or if you want to plan ahead you can always pour the creamed leeks into a shallow oven dish and add some extra grated Parmesan and when you are close to serving your lovely roast, pop into a hot oven to bring back up to heat and get a lovely crispy crust on top!