Angela Hartnett's Christmas side dish recipes

Many of these vegetable dishes can be prepared the day before your guests arrive. Brussels sprouts 500g brussels spouts 50g bacon 50g chestnuts 200ml chicken stock (optional) Prepare the sprouts by removing the outer skin and cutting the root off. If too large, slice in half. Bring 200ml of chicken stock or water to the boil in a pan. Add the spouts and cook quickly, on a high heat, so they're cooked, but still green. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. When ready to serve, saute the bacon with the chestnuts, then add the sprouts to warm them up. Carrots 1kg carrots 2tbsp honey 50g butter Peel and cut the carrots into 5cm-long chunks and put them in a pan, cover with cold water and season. Bring to the boil and simmer until just cooked, drain and leave to one side. When ready to serve, heat the honey in a pan and add the butter. When melted, add the carrots and reheat them through. Both the carrots and brussels can be prepared the day before and finished on the day. Potatoes and parsnips 1.5kg potatoes 10 parsnips 100ml vegetable oil or enough to cover the base of your baking tray 2 sprigs of rosemary 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin on Aim to put your potatoes in the oven about 10 minutes before you take the pork out to rest. Once the meat is out of the oven, turn the heat back up to 200C/gas mark 6. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters (depending on the size of the potatoes – keep them chunky). Place in a pan of cold water, season and bring to the boil until cooked. When ready, drain well and shake them in the sieve or colander to fluff them up – this gives roast potatoes a lovely crunch. Place a large roasting pan in the oven, with the vegetable oil, rosemary and garlic. When hot, remove from the oven and toss the potatoes in the oil, taking care not to splash yourself. Roast for 25 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Meanwhile, peel and cut your parsnips into quarters (make sure they're not too thin). Add them to the potatoes (or their own tray with oil, rosemary and garlic if they won't fit), half way through the potato cooking time, and they should be ready at the same time.