How to make sweet potato rostis with mushrooms and crispy sage

Christmas isn’t the time to convince your friend they’re not lactose intolerant, says Julia Platt Leonard. Find out who needs what and prep vegan side dishes like this

A fritter alright: no neutral flavours in this Swiss dish (Photos Julia Platt Leonard)

Planning and cooking Christmas dinner is not for the faint of heart. It’s a logistical exercise as much as a cooking one. Add in guests with dietary restrictions and things can get even more complicated. But it doesn’t have to be.

1. Don’t panic. Many dishes can be adapted easily. Making your prize brussels sprouts with toasted walnuts in brown butter, but you’ve got a vegan guest? Sauté them in olive oil instead, and finish them off with a drizzle of walnut oil. Gluten-free guest? Make your stuffing with cornbread instead. And remember that every guest doesn’t have to eat every dish.

2. Full disclosure. Ask your guests if they have dietary restrictions, and listen to them. This is not the time to convince your best friend she’s not really lactose intolerant.