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.
Chestnut Rice Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Japanese cooking class Inspired by Hideo Dekura! Chestnuts are a favourite autumn food in Japan in both savoury and sweet dishes. At their simplest, yakiguri (roasted chestnuts) are sold to passers-by from mobile street stands just as they are in Europe. For something slightly more filling […]
Lebanese Pink Pickled Turnips Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Pickled vegetables are always on a Lebanese table. Olives, chillies and turnips are most common, and small stuffed eggplants (makdous), cucumbers and cauliflower are also popular. The most distinctive are the pink pickled turnips, traditionally stained bright pink with beetroot. These […]
Orange & Date Salad Like this orange and date salad? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class inspired by Michael Rantissi! Once you discover how easy it is to segment an orange (see video below), you’ll be making this simple orange and date salad regularly. Use vivid Persian pistachio slivers instead of almonds if […]
Lemon & Ginger Rice Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Indian cooking class inspired by Ajoy Joshi! Lemon and ginger rice is a deliciously fresh side dish that’s a great accompaniment to all sorts of dishes, especially seafood or poultry. With the optional tempering mixture drizzled over the top it’s particularly good with Indian […]
Crispy Smashed Potatoes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Caribbean cooking class inspired by Paul Carmichael! The method for making these crispy smashed potatoes was shared with me by my friend Paul Carmichael. They combine the crunchiness of roast potatoes with the creaminess of mash – what’s not to love?! The most important thing […]
Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta Like this recipe? You’ll love my online British cooking class! Did you grow up disliking soggy, cabbage-smelling Brussels sprouts? I did. Then I discovered how delicious pan-fried Brussels sprouts. With a bit of charring and some cured pork fat if you like they are delicious! I like to use a […]
Red Rice & Herb Cake Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class inspired by Mark Jensen! Every rice-centred cuisine has a version of fried rice to use up leftover cooked rice. I created this red rice & herb cake inspired by the Vietnamese tomato rice, cơm đỏ, which Mark Jensen introduced me […]
Pan-fried Agrodolce Radicchio Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Radicchio is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. In Italy it’s popular cooked as well as in salads; the cooking softens the bitterness and brings out a touch of sweetness. I often shred it and toss it through pasta with […]
Baked Honey-Glazed Carrots Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Australian cooking class inspired by Matt Moran! Honey glazed carrots has long been a favourite side dish of mine, especially when the carrots are baked so they caramelise a little, adding a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. I love the look of whole […]
Braised Romaine Lettuce Like braised romaine lettuce? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Who knew you could cook lettuce? It’s a revelation to many Aussies, but a traditional side dish in much of Europe. Italians love grilled radicchio and sauteed escarole (curly endive), while the French like braised romaine lettuce […]
