Chorizo parsnips, spicy roast potatoes and three-green gratin: Rosie Mackean’s alternative Christmas sides – recipes

Don’t plump for the same old trimmings this year; shake things up with these stellar side dishes

Sides at Christmas so often flounder in the chaos that comes with tradition. “Turkey with all the trimmings” means you have to have roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets as a minimum, and they all end up being deeply average. I could go on and on about why I don’t cook turkey in my house, but the thought of doing a big “set-piece” meal on C-day is definitely a big reason. Truthfully, it is hard to cook that many things well at the same time; home kitchens aren’t made for it, and neither are we, the cooks. So give yourself a break and choose two or three knockout sides. Aim for a range of textures – one crisp, one creamy, one juicy – and methods (you don’t have to roast everything), and you won’t go back to boring again.

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