Side dishes

• Christmas lunch
• Marsala-poached turkey
• Side dishes
• Celebration Saturnalia dessert

Warm green salad
This refreshing warm green salad looks wonderful and can be served with the main course, or on its own between the main course and cheese or pudding.

SERVES 6-8
100ml seasoned vegetable stock
400-500g trimmed fine green beans
3 medium leeks, in 1 cm slices
2 heads white chicory
10g chives, snipped into batons

FOR THE DRESSING
15ml tarragon vinegar
60ml first, cold-pressed, unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon truffle oil or argan oil
1 teaspoon clear honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in a pan and add the beans. Part-cover and cook on a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add leeks, part-cover again and cook for 3 minutes (the beans and leeks should both be bite-tender). Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly, uncovered. Line your serving bowl or plate with the chicory leaves; then, using tongs, drain and add the beans and some of the leeks to the centre. Scatter with chives, then add the remaining leeks. Thoroughly whisk or shake together the vinegar, oils, honey and mustard. Add 4 tablespoons of the hot vegetable cooking liquid, then whisk again. Serve the dressing in a small jug.

Epicurean roast potatoes
Beautifully crunchy-crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, these potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to the festive turkey.

SERVES 6-8
8-10 oval-shaped Wilja or Desirée potatoes, peeled, halved crosswise
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons finely crushed garlic
500ml extra-virgin olive oil
250ml grapeseed oil
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

The day before serving, put the potatoes into a saucepan of boiling water. Bring to the boil and cover; reduce heat and parboil for 16 minutes. Drain the potatoes and, when cool, mix the pepper, salt and garlic and rub all three over them. Pile the potatoes into a non-reactive bowl and pour over the oils. Leave to stand overnight. Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5 (190°C, 375°F). Drain a third of the oil from the potatoes into a roasting pan and heat for 30 minutes in the oven. Add the potatoes and cook for 11⁄4 hours, turning halfway through.

Red cabbage compote
You can prepare this dish some hours or a day ahead, if you like, but don't add the salt until just before serving as it would dull the vibrant colour otherwise.

SERVES 6-8
1 medium red cabbage, halved
2 red onions, halved
2 apples, quartered, cored
4 garlic cloves, crushed
8 juniper berries, crushed
60ml vegetable stock or water
60ml robust red wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, halved
75g redcurrant jelly, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon sea-salt flakes

Remove the core, shred the cabbage and put it in a heavy-based saucepan. Slice the halved onions and apple quarters thinly and add to the cabbage with the garlic, juniper berries, stock and wine. Drizzle the olive oil over. Squeeze the orange halves into the cabbage, then set them on top, skin sides up. Bring the pan to the boil, then cover and reduce heat. Cook for 15-18 minutes, then discard the orange halves; add the jelly and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until liquids are syrupy. Stir gently, then season with salt and serve.

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