Complement your cooking with these quick and easy fail-safe accompaniments.

Mr Ed Smith is author of On The Side, a manifesto for what makes a perfect side dish

There’s no point splashing out on a 2in-thick bone-in rib-eye steak, spending hours low and slow smoking the perfect pork butt, or even perfecting the humble omelette, if what you serve them with is lacklustre, or a poorly matched afterthought. Maybe it’s time to rethink the side dish, to seek trimmings that inspire whole meals, or that are simply more appropriate to what you’re eating.

It’s the little things that make the difference. Good side dishes take things a step or two beyond the obvious, whether it be a lively dressing, an unusual ingredient, or an unexpected texture. They should be versatile and pair well with a variety of centrepieces, so that once they’re in your repertoire, you can repeat ad infinitum. Look for crunch or bite if what you’ve got is soft or runny, sweetness or acidity if the protein is rich or, by contrast, something bitter, verdant or savoury if there’s already a sweet or piquant sauce.

Above all, they should be simple and quick, with the effect exceeding the effort. Here are three sides dishes that will invigorate multiple meals.

Bitter leaves and an anchovy-heavy dressing – there aren’t many things that I wouldn’t serve this with, not least because it takes very little effort and works with both warm and cold dishes. That said, lamb, beef or offal dishes are ideal, particularly if they’ve a bit of char to them.

Serves 4–6

**Ingredients:

**1 large or 2 small heads (about 200g) white chicory (Belgian endive) 2 heads (about 300g) red chicory or small red radicchio 6–8 stems flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, roughly chopped 50g tinned anchovies in oil, finely chopped 1/4 garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp fish sauce 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp golden caster sugar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

**Method:

**Separate the chicory leaves. Cut the largest 5 or 6 outer leaves in half lengthways and keep the remaining leaves whole. Chop the tightly packed cores finely.

Refresh the leaves in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Fill a salad bowl or platter with the leaves and sprinkle the parsley leaves over the top.

Make the dressing by whisking the remaining ingredients together (including the oil the anchovies came in) until emulsified. When ready to eat, dress the salad, ensuring all the leaves are well coated.

This is the thinking man’s cooked tomato. Both unripe and heritage green tomatoes are subtler than their bolshy red cousins, and particularly benefit from the addition of good rapeseed oil, dried oregano and chilli. Once grilled, these are juicy, luscious and effective at cutting through savoury and salty foods without hogging the limelight. Think oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), white fish and cheeses such as ricotta and halloumi. Also steak.

**Serves 4–6

Ingredients:

**4–6 large green tomatoes (either unripe or heritage green variety), halved 3–4 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil Sea salt and ground white pepper 2 tbsp dried oregano 1 medium mild red chilli, finely diced

Method:

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the tomatoes on a small baking tray cut side up, so they all fit snugly. Drizzle with 2 tbsp oil. Sprinkle with white pepper, lots of salt and dried oregano.

Grill for 8–12 minutes about 10cm from the heat with the oven door ajar. They’ll sizzle and spit, soften and sink a little (but not totally). Remove from the oven, drizzle each with more oil, add another sprinkle of salt and top with the diced red chilli.

The fact that you can cook radishes may come as a surprise, but once warmed briefly, they become juicy and their pepperiness mellows. Be sure to use good-quality French breakfast or heirloom radishes here, as other varieties don’t pack the same punch.

This dish is brilliant with onglet, bavette or a roast rib of beef, but also braised rabbit, baked white fish and blue-cheese omelettes.

**Serves 4–6 ** **Ingredients:

**300g French breakfast radishes, leaves removed 20g butter 4 tbsp Pernod 7–8 stems tarragon, leaves only, roughly chopped Sea salt Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

**Method:

**Wash the radishes thoroughly. Cut most of them in half lengthways, leaving only the very small ones whole.

Put the butter in a medium saucepan or frying pan over a medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and is nearly frothing, add the Pernod. Reduce for 10–20 seconds, then whisk in 1 tbsp water. Add the radishes and cook for 3–4 minutes, turning them frequently in the buttery liquid.

Remove from the heat, add the tarragon, stir and immediately transfer to a serving bowl. Season with salt and the orange zest and pour any cooking juices over the top.

On The Side: A Sourcebook Of Inspiring Side Dishes (Bloomsbury) _by Mr Ed Smith is out now. _

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