Citrus cookbook: How to brighten side vegetable dishes

From a spritz of grapefruit to some zest of lime, a citrus twist brings welcome piquancy and unexpected new flavours to a host of everyday vegetable side dishes. By Catherine Phipps

Roasted cauliflower with lemon, nigella seeds and gremolata

Gremolata, an Italian chopped herb condiment, is a very useful thing to know how to make quickly as most people will usually have some kind of citrus zest, garlic and so herb in the house. I use coriander here as this recipe has Asian notes to it, but it is more traditional to use parsley. You can also use preserved citrus instead of fresh zest. Sprinkle this gremolata over any meaty casserole, or turn into a dressing for grilled chicken or fish, as suggested below.

1 large cauliflower
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Salt
1 tsp nigella seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Break a large cauliflower into florets and cut the larger florets in half lengthways. Break up a head of garlic and leave the cloves unpeeled. Add both to a roasting tin. Mix together the olive oil with the lemon or lime juice (finely grate the zest before juicing, and reserve). Add salt, nigella seeds, cumin seeds and dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), or you can use a finely chopped fresh chilli if you prefer.

Pour this over the cauliflower and garlic, turn to coat then spread out into an even layer. Roast for around 35–40 minutes until the cauliflower is nicely charred and al dente.

To make the gremolata, finely chop 2 garlic cloves and a small bunch of coriander. Mix together with the reserved lemon or lime zest and season with salt. This can also be turned into a type of dressing with more olive oil and citrus juice if you prefer. Serve separately at the table.

Chicory braised with grapefruit, mandarin and soy

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil 
1 tbsp runny honey 
4 heads of chicory (endive), cut in half lengthways 
50g butter 
Finely grated zest of 1 mandarin and 50ml/3½ tbsp juice 
1 tsp grated grapefruit zest and 50ml/3½ tbsp juice 
2 tbsp dark soy sauce 
A few sprigs of thyme 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

This dish is heaven for anyone who loves bitter flavours – it is layering bitter on bitter, but it is slightly tempered with the mandarin juice, honey and butter. I confess I can easily eat the lot in one sitting.

It is best served alongside some grilled meat – perhaps a fatty pork steak or a thick slice of gammon. Or eat it as a supper dish with some mashed potato or bread for mopping.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Melt the honey in a small saucepan then brush over the cut edges of the chicory. Sear the chicory in the frying pan, cut side down, until it has started to caramelise, then tip over and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the butter, citrus zests and juices and the soy sauce, pouring them around the chicory, then sprinkle in the thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, turning regularly, until the chicory is glossy and tender, and the liquids have reduced to a syrup.

Caramelised potatoes from Catherine Phipps’ ‘Citrus’ book

Caramelised potatoes with orange

Serves 4

1kg small new potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled 
​100g caster (super ne) sugar 
75g cup butter 
Finely grated zest of ½ sour orange and juice of 2 sour oranges (or zest of ½ orange and ½ lime, juice of 1 orange and 1 lime) 
Sea salt 

The idea of caramelised potatoes is a Scandinavian one, but the addition of orange is all mine. Slathering potatoes in butter and sugar is clearly not something you want to do every day – the Scandinavians serve it as part of Christmas dinner – but is worth having as part of the repertoire to complement rich, earthy casseroles. I like to serve them with a red-wine beef or venison casserole flavoured with juniper.

It is traditional to peel the potatoes after boiling them and the caramel does stick to them better that way – but you can leave them unpeeled if you prefer; it won’t make too much of a difference.

Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and add salt. Simmer until knife-tender, around 12–15 minutes. Drain and cool under running water, then peel them, if you like – you should find that the skins slip off very easily.

Melt the sugar in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Leave it alone, perhaps just giving it a shake every so o en, until it has caramelised – it will start around the edges and eventually turn a light golden brown.

Add the butter (be careful, it may splutter) and allow it to melt into the caramel, keeping the stirring to a minimum. Whisk in the zest, juice and a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes then leave to cook, slowly, and turning regularly, until the caramel has reduced down and the potatoes are well coated.

‘Citrus: Recipes that Celebrate the Sour and the Sweet’ by Catherine Phipps (Quadrille, £20) Photography © Mowie Kay