They may be a support act, but great side dishes can transform a meal. Breads, salads, rice, potatoes and veggies, some can even be transformed into the main attraction with a little inspiration. Here are my favourite side dish recipes.
Rösti Discover more Swiss regional specialties on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland! Talking about a ‘potato’ rösti in Switzerland is redundant (like ‘cheese’ fondue) as there’s only one type of true rösti and it’s made from potato. Swiss menus don’t generally offer much for vegetarians, but most have rösti with either […]
Nuoc Mam Cham Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class inspired by Mark Jensen! https://youtu.be/jf1wgYikwZo Fish sauce is the essential condiment in Vietnamese cooking, just as salt and pepper are in the west. A bottle sits on the table at every meal and, at its simplest, it’s poured straight from that bottle. […]
Sambal Goreng (Fried Chilli Paste) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Singaporean cooking class! https://youtu.be/IHdQF4za4nw I love having good condiments on hand to add flavour to quick and easy meals. In Southeast Asia that’s often a sambal, and sambal goreng is one of the easiest and tastiest. Sambal means ‘chilli’ and goreng means ‘fried’ […]
Salmoriglio Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! https://youtu.be/LhE0c5Ho3Pk Salmoriglio is a simple southern Italian sauce based on olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, traditionally oregano. Parsley is often included and sometimes a little finely chopped rosemary or thyme, some recipes add a little anchovy too. The […]
Melanzane Grigliate Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Eggplant is like a sponge and soaks up an incredible amount of oil, so I prefer to brush it with oil and bake or grill it rather than fry it. If you have the barbecue fired up, you […]
Peperoni in Padella Join my small-group food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! I was taught to make this braised capsicum dish by a boyfriend’s Neapolitan mother many years ago, and it’s still one of my favourites. Peperoni in padella simply means ‘peppers in the pan’ and the result […]
Steamed Asparagus with Pecorino Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! When I’m barbecuing, I’ll sometimes grill asparagus spears on the spot. But when I’m entertaining, and want to get as much done ahead of time as possible, I find it easier to steam them. I like […]
Romesco Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Spanish cooking class! Originating in the region of Catalonia, romesco sauce is one of Spain’s most popular sauces with as many variations as there are cooks. It’s very versatile, especially popular with seafood but also delicious with poultry and red meat. The essential ingredients are nuts, […]
Alabama White Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online cooking class featuring the food of America’s Deep South! While Alabama white sauce is a classic barbecue sauce, it’s also delicious as a dipping sauce for fried food like chicken or fish. It makes a delicious salad dressing too (try it with coleslaw)! It originated […]
Coriander & Mint Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Indian cooking class inspired by Ajoy Joshi! This slightly spicy coriander & mint sauce is a riff on hari chutney, the traditional accompaniment to that colourful crunchy Indian street-side snack, chaat. My recipe is inspired by a sauce Ajoy Joshi serves at Nilgiri’s Indian […]