This is a great way to roast potatoes, because you can parboil and crush them well ahead of time. Douse them in the flavoured olive oil and leave them to cook longer than you'd think they need – they come out exquisitely crisp and golden.
Serves 4–6
- 500g baby new potatoes (such as Charlotte)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 25g butter
- 1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves and lightly bashed in their skins
- 4 fresh thyme sprig, leaves stripped from stems
- sea salt flakes
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. Arrange the potatoes in a large shallow baking tin, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to spread once smashed. Using the back of a large spoon or a potato masher, push down on each of the potatoes to make them crack open, then season with salt. Heat the oil, butter, garlic and thyme in a small pan, and drizzle the mixture over the potatoes. Roast for 1 hour, turning once about half way through, until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and pile on to a platter. Garnish with a little salt to serve.
SERVE WITH … In our house we’d happily eat these with anything, but they work particularly well with the Turkey Roulade with Maple Glaze as a Christmas lunch, alongside some Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots with Pistachio & Dill. Just remember to make twice as many potatoes as you think anyone will eat!
Braised Petits Pois with Bacon
A celebration of spring, this classic French dish takes only minutes to make, but it is unbelievably good. Traditionally, this uses tender new-season peas cooked with butter lettuce, but I like making it with frozen peas and wedges of Gem lettuce, which give some structure and crunch to the finished dish.
Serves 4–6
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g smoked streaky bacon lardons
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 400g frozen petits pois 1
- 50ml fresh chicken stock (from a carton)
- 2 little Gem lettuces, cut into quarters
- 40g butter, chilled and diced
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the oil with the bacon lardons and sauté until they are golden and have released their fat. Pour in the wine and add the scallions, then allow the mixture to bubble for 2 minutes. Add the petits pois and chicken stock, then bring back to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully place the lettuce quarters on top of the petits pois mixture, with the stalks facing upwards.
Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Remove the lettuce and put on a plate. Add the butter into the petits pois mixture and give everything a good stir, then simmer gently until the butter has formed a smooth emulsion sauce. Season to taste and stir in the parsley. Tip most of the petits pois mixture into a warm dish and arrange the lettuce on top, then finish with the rest of the petits pois mixture to serve.
SERVE WITH … This goes rather well with the One-Pot Fish Pie or the Cottage Pie. Of course, it is also perfect with any roast dinner – and the buttery sauce means you can get away with not making any gravy.