by Jamie Oliver
6 tablespoons white wine
¼ cup crème fraîche
1½ oz Gruyère cheese
¾ oz Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and quarter the onions, then break the quarters apart into petals. Place these in a roasting pan (12 × 10 inches) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Peel, finely slice, and add the garlic, strip over the thyme leaves, and toss it all together. Pour over the white wine, then cover with a tight double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.
When the time’s up, your onions should be starting to lightly caramelize. Remove the pan from the oven and gently stir in the crème fraîche, then finely grate over the cheeses. Return to the oven to tick away for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and gorgeous and the onions are starting to crisp up at the edges. Serve straight away, or cool it down, ready to flash under the broiler later to reheat.
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LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Any leftovers will be gratefully received in a stew, a warm salad, or as a pizza topping.
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GLAZED CARROTS
THYME, CARAMELIZED GARLIC, CLEMENTINE, & HONEY
I love doing carrots like this, as the simple flavor combination teamed with the clever cooking technique gives you something that makes you go, “Wow!” Carrots are sometimes seen as everyday, but not here—these bad boys are special.
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE
30 MINUTES
2 lbs small mixed-color carrots, heirloom if you can get them
¼ cup unsalted butter
optional: 1 tablespoon dripping
6 cloves of garlic
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 clementines
2 tablespoons liquid honey
2 fresh bay leaves
Trim and wash the carrots, leaving a little of the green tops on so they look pretty. Melt the butter and the dripping, if you’ve got it, in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Crush the unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife, then add to the pan, turning after 1 minute. Sprinkle in the thyme sprigs (they’ll crackle a bit), squeeze in the clementine juice, and add the honey, bay, and a splash of water. Add the carrots, sprinkle with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then jiggle the pan to coat them in all that flavor. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
When the time’s up, uncover the pan and, being very vigilant, simply reduce the moisture away until you get a beautiful clementine glaze and the carrots start to catch and caramelize in a lovely way, turning often. Once you think they look great, simply serve straight away, or you can remove them from the heat and crack on with your other jobs, reheating them when needed. Delicious.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
ALL SERVE 6–8 AS A SIDE
SQUASHED BRUSSELS
ROASTED WITH CHORIZO & CHESTNUTS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and trim 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, clicking off any tatty outer leaves. Cook for 8 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water, then drain well. Squeeze 5 oz of raw chorizo out of its skin, crumbling it into a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. On the stove, fry over a medium heat for 6 minutes, until you have ruby oil, then crumble in 3½ oz of vac-packed chestnuts, strip in the leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, and shake about. Tip in the sprouts and toss in 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Squash and flatten the sprouts with a potato masher so they suck up more flavor. Roast for 25 minutes, or until starting to color. Season to perfection, bang out, and serve.
MUSTARD BRUSSELS TOPS
BUTTER & SILVERSKIN PICKLED ONIONS
Wash and trim 2 lbs of mixed Brussels sprouts and tops, clicking off any tatty outer leaves from the sprouts. Cook the sprouts for 8 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water, adding the tops for just the last 2 minutes. Meanwhile, finely slice 6 silverskin pickled onions, then place in a pan on a medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 heaping teaspoon of English mustard until melted and combined. Spoon in a ladleful of the greens cooking water to emulsify it into a nice sauce. Drain the Brussels and tops, toss into the sauce until evenly coated, then season to perfection and serve.
BRUSSELS IN A HUSTLE
SHREDDED WITH GARLIC & SAGE
Peel and quarter 1 red onion, push it through the fine slicing attachment of your food processor, and tip into a large pan on a medium heat with ¼ cup of unsalted butter. Pick, finely slice, and add the leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh sage, then fry for 4 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, wash and trim 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, clicking off any tatty outer leaves. In batches, push them through the same fine slicer. Add them to the pan, turn the heat up, cover, and fry for 10 minutes, or until soft, adding a splash of water, if needed. Toss in ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce, then turn the heat off and gun in 1 clove of unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher. Stir well, season to perfection, and serve.
BRAISED BRUSSELS
CRISPY BACON BITS, BAY, & SHALLOTS
Wash and trim 2 lbs of Brussels sprouts, clicking off any tatty outer leaves. Cook for 4 minutes in a pan of boiling salted water, then drain well. Finely chop 3 rashers of smoked bacon and place in a large frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir-fry until crispy while you peel and finely chop 3 shallots. Stir into the pan with 2 fresh bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, and cook for 4 minutes, or until softened. Halve and add the Brussels and cook for 10 more minutes, or until nicely golden, stirring regularly. Season to perfection and serve.
Nature’s bounty
As well as all the wonderful seasonal fare on offer on the food front, our hedgerows, trees, and gardens will be heaving with bounty, too. Get out into your garden, take your clippers, and collect bits of foliage for decorating your fireplace, your table, your presents—you could even make a lovely natural wreath for your front door.
CLAPSHOT
SMASHED CARROT & RUTABAGA, MARMALADE, & LOADSA CHIVES
“Clapshot” is an old term that describes the ball-bearings in a shotgun cartridge, which are represented here by the chopped chives peppered throughout this delicious smashed veg purée. It’s simple, but always a complete joy to eat.
SERVES 10–12 AS A SIDE
40 MINUTES
3 lbs carrots
1 large rutabaga (1¾ lbs)
1 bunch of fresh chives (1 oz)
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon quality bitter orange marmalade
extra virgin olive oil
Peel the carrots and rutabaga, then chop into 1¼-inch chunks. Cook them in a deep pan of boiling salted water for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
Drain the veg well in a colander and leave to steam dry for a couple of minutes, then return to the pan and mash to the consistency of your liking. Finely chop the chives and stir most of them through the mash with most of the butter and all of the marmalade, then taste and season to perfection. Pile into a serving dish and use a palette knife to shape it into a little mountain, then rotate and indent it with your knife so it looks impressive. Put your last knob of butter on top, sprinkle with the remaining chives, and drizzle with a little oil, then serve.
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GET AHEAD
You can make this in advance—to reheat, put it in a heatproof bowl, cover with aluminum foil, and place over a pan of very gently simmering water until hot through.
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ROASTED BEETS
GARLIC, THYME, & STICKY BALSAMIC
By roasting these beets you get the most unbelievable concentration of flavor. Coupled with the gentle sweet-and-sour acidity of the balsamic, and the fragrance of fresh thyme and garlic, whether served hot or cold they’re a total treat.
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
3 lbs mixed-color baby beets
olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 bulb of garlic
½ a bunch of fresh thyme (½ oz)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and trim the beets, then cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 25 to 30 minutes, or until just cooked (depending on their size). Drain, and as soon as they’re cool enough to handle, peel away the skin (you might want to wear gloves!), chopping up any larger beets.
Place the beets in a roasting pan, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and the balsamic. Crush and break apart the bulb of garlic, then throw the unpeeled cloves into the pan. Add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper and toss it all together. Dress the sprigs of thyme with a little oil, then sprinkle most of them over the beets—these will pass on their flavor in a beautiful way. Roast the beets for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until gnarly and gorgeous-looking, adding the remaining thyme sprigs for the last few minutes so they retain their vibrancy.
If enjoying as part of a big roast dinner, I like to serve these on a bed of Horseradish sauce (see here) so you get that wonderful ripple of color as the beets bleed into the creamy sauce. Absolutely delicious.
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE
CREAMY CHEDDAR & BROCCOLI SAUCE, ALMOND BREAD CRUMB TOPPING
This is a big favorite in the Oliver household. With broccoli mushed into the white sauce and the beautiful crunch of almonds and bread crumbs on top—it’s an epic combo! Remember, the better the cheese, the better the dish.
SERVES 8 AS A SIDE
1 HOUR 35 MINUTES
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup unsalted butter
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
1 lb broccoli
2½ oz mature Cheddar cheese
2 lbs cauliflower
2 slices of ciabatta or stale bread
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil
1 oz flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make the sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic and put it into a pan on a medium heat with the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the flour for 1 minute to make a paste, then gradually add the milk, whisking as you go, until smooth and starting to thicken. Roughly chop and add the broccoli to the pan and simmer for around 20 minutes, then mash or blitz with an immersion blender until fairly smooth. Grate in half the Cheddar, mix well, taste, and season to perfection.
Snap off and wash the cauliflower leaves, discarding any tatty ones, then cut the center into florets, slicing up the stalk. Arrange it all in an appropriately sized baking dish, letting any leaves hang beautifully over the edge. Pour over the broccoli sauce and grate over the remaining Cheddar. In a food processor, blitz the bread and thyme leaves into rough crumbs with 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then pulse in the almonds so they retain a nice bit of texture. Scatter the topping evenly over the cauliflower cheese and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden and cooked through, then enjoy!
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MIX IT UP
It’s good fun to play around with different cheeses in this dish and see how they taste and melt, so this is a great one for using up any leftovers from your Christmas cheeseboard. It’s also nice to try different veg instead of cauliflower—for instance, ¾- to 1¼-inch chunks of celery root, squash, potatoes, or leeks would all work a treat. Just remember, some veg might take longer to cook than others, so test with a knife to check they’re cooked through before serving.
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RED CABBAGE
CRISPY SMOKED BACON & ROSEMARY, APPLE, FENNEL SEEDS, & BALSAMIC
Celebrating one of the most affordable veg out there—the humble red cabbage—this is a really delicious, classic veg dish. Wonderful as it is hot, I also love it cold, almost like a salad, with meat and cheese, so embrace those leftovers.
SERVES 8–10 AS A SIDE
35 MINUTES
1 red cabbage (2 lbs)
4 rashers of smoked bacon
olive oil
2 eating apples
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 heaping teaspoon fennel seeds
3½ oz dried prunes
1 clementine
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Click away any tatty outer leaves from your cabbage, trim off the base, cut the cabbage into wedges, then finely slice it and put aside. Finely slice the bacon and place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Leave it to crisp up while you peel, core, and dice the apples.
When the bacon is crispy, strip the rosemary leaves into the pan, stir for 1 minute, then use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and rosemary to a plate, leaving the smoky bacon fat behind. Add the fennel seeds and diced apples to the pan, then tear in the prunes, removing any pits. Stir and fry for 2 minutes, then finely grate in the clementine zest and squeeze in the juice. Add the vinegar, cabbage, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Cook with the lid ajar on a low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and a pleasure to eat, stirring well every 5 minutes to help intensify and mix up the flavors. Serve sprinkled with the crispy bacon and rosemary leaves.
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GET AHEAD
Make this the day before and simply reheat it in a pan—it’ll taste great, but if you do this I’d recommend stirring the bacon and rosemary through it rather than serving them on top as a garnish.
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PUMPKIN PURÉE
MARSHMALLOWS, MAPLE SYRUP, SPICES, & THYME
Pumpkin and marshmallows is a North American Thanksgiving classic. It might sound like a crazy combo, but it’s delicious. I’m using sweet squash here, and I’ve stripped the mallows back so you can taste all the wonderful flavors.
SERVES 10 AS A SIDE
2 HOURS 15 MINUTES
PLUS COOLING
2 butternut squash (2½ lbs each)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
2 pinches of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3½ oz marshmallows
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place both whole squash in a roasting pan and bake them for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until soft and cooked through, then remove and leave until cool enough to handle.
In a pestle and mortar, pound up the coriander and fennel seeds, the paprika, cinnamon, and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper until fine. Toast the spices in a large frying pan on a medium heat for 30 seconds, then add the butter and maple syrup and let it very gently bubble away while you halve each squash lengthways, scoop out and discard the seeds, then spoon the flesh off the skin, keeping it nice and chunky. Gently fold the squash flesh into the pan (discarding the skin), trying not to break it up too much so you get a range of textures. Reduce to a low heat and leave it to tick away for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer the mixture to an appropriately sized baking dish, then randomly poke the marshmallows into the top. Pick the thyme leaves, toss lightly with oil, and sprinkle over the dish from a height. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes, or until gorgeously golden and the marshmallows have melted. Yum.
GRAVY, SAUCES,
& all the trimmings
DARK BONE GRAVY
RED WINE, MARMITE, ENGLISH MUSTARD, & REDCURRANT JELLY
This is a serious gravy for serious gravy lovers. It’s very easy, but it does require a little investment of time, which in turn allows you to harness incredible depth of flavor from roasted beef bones and all our favorite condiments.
MAKES 6 CUPS
4 HOURS 30 MINUTES
4½ lbs beef bones (ask your butcher to cut them up for you)
2 onions
2 stalks of celery
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups quality beef stock
2 cups Bordeaux
2 teaspoons Marmite
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
2 teaspoons English mustard
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the beef bones in your largest deep roasting pan. Roughly chop the unpeeled onions with the celery and add to the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, toss to coat, and roast for 2 hours. Give everything a shake halfway through, also adding a splash of water.
Remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to transfer all the bones to a big pot, then pour over the stock and place on a low heat. Place the roasting pan over a medium heat on the stove. Skim away most of the fat from the surface into a jar, cool, and place in the fridge for tasty cooking another day. Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, scraping up all the sticky goodness from the base, then pour the contents of the pan into the stockpot and add all the remaining ingredients. Leave it to bubble and reduce on a medium heat for around 2 hours, or until the gravy is the consistency of your liking, skimming the surface occasionally.
Carefully remove the bigger bones, then strain the gravy through a coarse sieve into another pan, season to perfection, then either keep warm on the lowest heat until needed, or cool and pop into the fridge to reheat another day, discarding any fat that settles on the top before reheating.
GET-AHEAD GRAVY
PERFECT FOR YOUR BIG-DAY TURKEY
Good gravy has the power to transform, or even save, a meal. This year, open your mind to a slightly radical idea: make your gravy a few days, or even weeks, in advance, simply reheating it in your turkey pan on the big day. Stress saved.
MAKES 4 CUPS
2 HOURS
