This year, it takes a bit of deep digging to give thanks in a straightforward way. That said, Thanksgiving still provides a reason to get together with loved ones around the table and connect. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, or what it even really means, but I’m suddenly struck by the fact that all the sides I’ve planned for this year’s Thanksgiving meal have roots at their heart. It’s only root vegetables, I know, but there is something about roots – our shared roots, our shared humanity – that I want to put centre stage at my table right now.
Kohlrabi slaw with horseradish and candied sunflower seeds (pictured top)
This super-crunchy slaw is a wonderfully versatile side. It can be made in advance, but don’t add the dressing until just before you’re ready to eat. Make double the amount of the sunflower seed topping, if you like: it’s great to have around to sprinkle over salads or just to snack on.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4-6
20g sunflower seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup
70ml olive oil
1 tsp nigella seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar
2 kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick matchsticks
2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and cut on a diagonal into 3mm-thick pieces (300g)
20g parsley, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra to serve
150g Greek yoghurt
20g fresh horseradish, peeled and finely grated (or 40g good-quality creamed horseradish)
1 tbsp lemon juice
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the sunflower seeds, maple syrup and two tablespoons of oil in a small pan on a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, until the sunflower seeds start to brown. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the nigella seeds and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then pour into a heatproof sieve set over a bowl. Once the solids are cool enough to handle, break up the seeds with your hands, then return them to the oil, to finish the crunchy sunflower seed topping.
Put the kohlrabi, carrots, and parsley in a large bowl and toss to combine.
In a medium bowl, mix the remaining 45ml oil with the yoghurt, horseradish, lemon juice, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.
Just before serving, pour the dressing over the kohlrabi mixture and toss to coat. Transfer half the slaw to a wide bowl, spoon over half the sunflower seed topping, then repeat with the remaining slaw and sunflower seed topping. Scatter over the extra parsley and serve.
Parsnip and pecorino stuffing
At this time of year, whenever there’s a collective meal to be cooked, the floor is always open to the question: “How do you make yours?” Stuffing was the centre of this week’s debate – do you stuff, ball or tray? Meat or veggie? Does anyone stuff the bird any more? One thing the whole test kitchen agreed on, however, was: the more crunchy bits, the better. So this stuffing is roasted in a large tray for maximum exposure (though it will work almost as well cooked in a smaller dish, too). If you want to get ahead, make the stuffing the night before, but only up to the point when the vegetables go into the oven for a second bake.
Prep 25 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4
2 onions (360g), peeled and thinly sliced
600g parsnips, peeled, cut in half lengthways, then chopped into roughly 2cm pieces
3 celery sticks (200g), trimmed and chopped into roughly 1cm pieces (180g)
60ml olive oil
1½ tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
Fine sea salt and black pepper
300g sourdough, cut into 2cm-thick slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
100g pecorino, grated
130ml double cream
400ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 eggs
50g dried currants
4-5 spring onions (60g), trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
20g parsley, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp extra to finish
1½ tsp caraway seeds, toasted
Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Put the first five ingredients in a medium-large baking dish – ideally about 30cm x 22cm – add three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden and slightly charred, then remove from the oven and turn it down to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Use a fork to smash up the parsnips.
Meanwhile, toast the bread on a low oven shelf for 10 minutes, until evenly golden and crunchy, then leave to cool and cut into roughly ½cm pieces.
Put the garlic, pecorino, cream, stock and eggs in a large bowl, add a half-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the parsnip mixture to the cream bowl, stir in the currants, spring onions, parsley and caraway, then set aside for five minutes, so the bread absorbs most of the liquid. Tip everything back into the baking dish and roast for 20-25 minutes, until golden on top. Serve hot.
Rosemary cassava gratin
Whether it’s roasted or deep-fried until crisp, cassava is greatly comforting, but its starchiness shines equally well when smothered in a cheesy sauce, as in this gratin. To cut down on prep time, look for ready-peeled cassava on the frozen aisle of most Asian food shops. You could also swap the cassava for other root vegetables, such as parsnips, potatoes or swedes.
Prep 25 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 6-8
1.7kg fresh cassava, or 1.2kg frozen cassava, defrosted
Fine sea salt and black pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2-3 rosemary sprigs
6-7 banana shallots, peeled and cut in half lengthways (280g)
1 tbsp olive oil
For the gratin cream
3 tbsp olive oil
40g unsalted butter
1½ tbsp plain flour
1½ tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
350ml double cream
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
100g gruyere, grated
50g parmesan, grated
Using a sharp knife, peel the cassava, if using fresh ones, making sure to take off all the outer brown and pink skin. Cut the root in half lengthways, cut out the hard stem in the middle, then chop into 4cm pieces.
Fill a large saucepan with 1.2 litres of water and a tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cassava, crushed garlic and rosemary, turn down the heat to medium-high, then leave to cook for 20 minutes, until translucent. Drain, discard the rosemary and set the cassava aside, then wipe clean the pan, if need be.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the shallots in a round, 30cm casserole dish with a tablespoon of oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, then roast for 10-12 minutes, until softened and lightly coloured. Take out of the oven, tip into a bowl and put the casserole dish to one side, because you’ll be using it again later.
Meanwhile, make the gratin cream. Put the same pan back on a medium-high heat and add the oil and butter. Once that’s melted, stir in the flour and rosemary, and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes, until browned and smelling nutty. Stir in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the cream, stock, nutmeg, chilli flakes, lemon zest and a good grind of pepper ,and cook for 15 minutes, until thickened. Take off the heat and stir in all the grated cheese until it’s melted. Gently tip the cassava into the pan, stir gently to mix, then pour into the reserved casserole dish. Scatter the roast shallots all over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is thick, golden and bubbling. Take out of the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
