Three British Christmas Sides: Roast Potatoes, Honey-Roasted Parsnips & Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Place a large roasting tin in the oven to heat while you prepare the veg.

2. 2

   Peel the floury potatoes and cut into even pieces about 4–5 cm. Put them into a large saucepan, cover with cold water, add a teaspoon of sea salt and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the edges are just starting to break down.

3. 3

   Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Return to the empty saucepan and give the pan a good shake to rough up the edges (this creates surface texture for crisping). Leave the potatoes to sit for 10 minutes so steam evaporates and they dry out.

4. 4

   Put the roasting tin with the goose fat into the hot oven for about 5 minutes until the fat is very hot and just starting to smoke.

5. 5

   Carefully tip the dried potatoes into the hot fat, turn them so they are evenly coated and spread out in a single layer. Tuck in the fresh rosemary, season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Roast for 50 minutes, turning once after 25 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.

6. 6

   While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the parsnips. Peel and cut into batons roughly the same size as the potatoes. In a bowl toss the parsnips with olive oil, honey, the zest and juice of the orange, soft brown sugar, fresh thyme leaves, and a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer.

7. 7

   Place the parsnips in the oven (they can go in on a shelf below the potatoes) and roast for 35 minutes, turning once halfway, until tender and caramelised at the edges.

8. 8

   Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut any large ones in half. Finely slice the streaky bacon.

9. 9

   In a large frying pan cook the streaky bacon over a medium heat until it has released its fat and is crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove and keep warm, leaving the fat in the pan.

10. 10

    Add the unsalted butter to the bacon fat, then add the crushed garlic and halved Brussels sprouts cut-side down. Fry for 6–8 minutes until the sprouts are charred at the cut side and tender when pierced. Add the shelled chestnuts for the last 2 minutes just to warm through. Stir in the cooked bacon, season with sea salt and ground black pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

11. 11

    Bring everything to the table hot: transfer roast potatoes, honey-roasted parsnips and Brussels sprouts to warmed serving dishes and serve immediately.

Tips

• Parboil the potatoes in cold water and shake them in the pan to create a rough surface — that texture makes the difference between golden and meh.
• Heat the fat in the roasting tin until very hot before adding potatoes; they should sizzle the moment they hit the fat.
• If you’re short on oven space, roast the parsnips on the same shelf beneath the potatoes so both get good heat without crowding.
• Cook the bacon slowly and use the pan fat to fry the sprouts — it adds flavour and helps the sprouts char without drying out.
• Make the parsnips up to 2 hours ahead, toss again with a little extra honey or oil if they look dry, then roast just before serving.

Substitutions

• goose fat → olive oil 60 ml or vegetable oil 60 ml

  Stays close

• streaky bacon → smoked pancetta, same weight

  Stays close

• shelled chestnuts → toasted walnuts 150 g

  Noticeably different

• unsalted butter → olive oil 30 ml for dairy-free

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

730

Calories

13 g

Protein

90 g

Carbs

35 g

Fat

15 g

Fibre

20 g

Sugar

850 mg

Sodium

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