Delicious side dishes 75g butter 400g Brussels sprouts, shredded Finely grated zest 1 lemon 25g Parmesan or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated

Shredded Brown Butter and Parmesan Sprouts

Pecorino would also work well here. To save time, shred your sprouts in a food processor using the slicing attachment. Hands-on time 20min. Cooking time about 15min. Serves 8

1 Melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Once melted, turn up the heat to medium and cook until the butter is golden brown and smells nutty.

2 Add the sprouts, turn up the heat slightly and fry for 5min, stirring regularly, until the sprouts are golden and tender. Stir through the lemon zest and some seasoning.

3 Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle over the cheese. Serve. PER SERVING 109cals, 3g protein, 9g fat (6g saturates), 2g carbs (2g total sugars), 3g fibre

GET AHEAD Shred the sprouts up to a day ahead. Put into a bowl, cover with damp kitchen paper and chill. Complete recipe to serve.

Duck Fat Roast Potatoes

We’ve kept our roasties simple this year with just a hint of garlic and thyme running through them. Use olive oil if you want a veggie side. Hands-on time 15min. Cooking time about 1hr 50min. Serves 8 2kg floury potatoes, we used Maris Piper

6tbsp duck fat

10 thyme sprigs

5 garlic cloves, skin on and lightly crushed

1 Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Peel the potatoes and cut into large, even chunks. Put into a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8-10min.

2 Meanwhile, spoon the fat into a large roasting tin that will hold the potatoes in a single layer. Heat in the oven for 15min.

3 Drain the potatoes well and leave to steam-dry in a colander for 5min. Return the potatoes to the empty pan and shake well to rough up the edges.

4 Carefully add the potatoes, thyme, garlic and some seasoning to the hot fat, turning to coat. Roast for 1hr 30min, until golden, basting and turning occasionally. Season well and empty into a warmed serving dish. Serve.

PER SERVING 290cals, 5g protein, 8g fat (2g saturates), 47g carbs (2g total sugars), 5g fibre

GET AHEAD Complete steps 1 and 3 up to a day ahead. Cool, cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve.

Lemon, Honey and Thyme Roasted Onions

This simple and delectable side lets the main event shine. Use red onions for a splash of colour. Hands-on time 20min. Cooking time about 1hr. Serves 8 4 medium onions, about 600g, peeled

Juice 2 lemons

Handful thyme sprigs, leaves picked 1tbsp light brown soft sugar 40g butter

1 Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Trim the tops and bottoms off the onions, then halve through the circumference. Arrange cut-side up, in a roasting tin or ovenproof serving dish in which they fit snugly.

2 Pour over the lemon juice, then sprinkle in the thyme leaves, sugar and plenty of seasoning. Cut the butter into 8 slices and place a slice on top of each onion ½.

3 Pour in 100ml water (avoiding the tops of the onions). Roast for 1hr, basting the onions with the juices occasionally, or until tender and golden. Serve. PER SERVING 74cals, 1g protein, 4g fat (3g saturates), 8g carbs (6g total sugars), 2g fibre

GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 2 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve. Alternatively, cook, cool, cover and freeze up to 3 months ahead. To serve, defrost in the fridge and reheat (covered) in an oven preheated to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5 until piping hot.