Creating a beautiful Christmas menu is a fun challenge every year. And because the selection at The Butchery is truly extensive, we are happy to help you get started with our Christmas Choice Guide. After all, there is no accounting for taste. The guide gives you a recommendation from the butcher, which already takes you a long way with your starter and or main course. But then there is the rest… No inspiration? We will help you along. Below you will find festive side dishes to serve a complete, stress free and festive Christmas menu.

Have you not tried the Christmas Choice Guide yet? Give it a go, you never know what entirely new idea might come out this year.

Wishing you lots of anticipation and enjoyment.

A classic French side dish in which the potatoes are first browned in butter until golden and then braised in butter until perfectly tender. Here is how to make them:

1. Peel the potatoes and trim the top and bottom so you get cylinders about 3 to 4 centimeters tall. Want a truly classic look? Shape the potato cylinders into an octagon.
2. Heat an ovenproof pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of butter. Brown the potatoes on one side for about 5 to 7 minutes. You do not need to brown the other side when making fondant potatoes.
3. After browning, turn them over and add some crushed garlic and rosemary, letting them cook briefly. After about a minute, add broth until the potatoes are submerged about two thirds of the way. You can stir in some saffron if you like. It gives the side dish an even more special flavor, but it is optional.
4. Bring the broth slowly to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and then place the potatoes in a preheated oven at 200 °C.
5. Let the potatoes braise for 20 minutes until tender and the liquid has reduced to a beautiful jus.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and finish with a bit of lemon zest for a fresh touch.

For this side dish, you first want to blanch the carrots and then cook them in a mixture of honey and thyme. It may sound complicated, but it is actually very easy. Here is how to make it:

1. Peel the small winter carrots and trim the greens so that a little tuft remains. It does not add much flavor, but it does look beautiful.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
3. Add a generous amount of salt to the water. It should taste like the ocean.
4. Cook the carrots for two minutes, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. This step is essential because it stops the cooking process.
5. Pat the carrots thoroughly dry and coat them with a mixture of honey and thyme.
6. Sear the carrots until they are nicely browned all around. They are already cooked, so this step is mainly for color.

A side dish that always works. It pairs well with almost any cut of meat, requires little preparation and the oven does the rest. You can make it ahead of time, which makes it ideal for a Christmas menu. With just a few simple ingredients, it looks like you spent hours in the kitchen. We love that.

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Slice about one kilo of potatoes into thin slices.
3. Rub a baking dish with a halved garlic clove and then grease it with butter.
4. Place 300 ml cream, 200 ml milk and a finely chopped garlic clove in a pan.
5. Warm gently and season with salt, pepper and optionally nutmeg.
6. Layer the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping, and pour the cream mixture over them.
7. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes. This can be done ahead of time.
8. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender.
9. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sauce with meat: for some people it is almost a sin. But forgive us if you disagree, we love it from time to time. Not always of course and not with every cut, but when we go all out for a Christmas dinner, a beautiful sauce is more than welcome. Homemade only of course, no jars or packets and always served on the side. Curious which sauces we enjoy most with meat? Take a look at our six favourite classics.

Would you rather serve a ready made jus, sauce or herb butter prepared with love by our butchers? That is of course perfectly fine as well. You can find them here.

At a festive Christmas dinner, the main course deserves a wine that elevates the entire experience. Whether you choose tender red meat, elegant poultry or bold game, the right wine can make all the difference. Curious why wine pairs so well with meat and which combinations work best? We have looked into it for you.