Almost all hot and cold meat and fish dishes, as well as many appetizers, are served with side dishes. To prepare side dishes, a wide range of products is used: cereals, legumes, pasta and flour products, vegetables, mushrooms, berries, fruits, eggs.
Vegetable side dishes are especially widely used. For their preparation, fresh, salted, pickled, pickled, boiled, poached, fried, baked and stewed vegetables in a wide variety of assortments are used.
Cereal side dishes are viscous or crumbly porridges; flour products are mainly served in the form of croutons; boiled pasta is used for side dishes; legumes - used boiled either in the form of whole grains or in the form of puree.
With the exception of potatoes, the processing of which for side dishes sometimes has some minor features (straws or chips, etc.), all other side dishes are prepared according to a general recipe: for example, cauliflower, which they want to serve as a side dish, is boiled in the same way as and for an independent dish.
Our publication does not have a special part dedicated to side dishes, since all recipes for preparing side dishes can be found in the corresponding sections.
But if the primary methods and methods of heat treatment have almost no differences, then the use of side dishes has its own specifics that the cook must know.
Adding a side dish means enriching the food with additional nutrients, increasing its volume and weight so that it saturates better and more fully, and, finally, most importantly, improving the taste of the dish.
The very name garnish (garnire - means to decorate) accurately defines the main purpose of this culinary product, since a garnish should improve the taste of the dish, decorate it, make it more attractive, more appetizing, and thereby increase digestibility.
Not the preparation of a side dish, but its correct selection for a given dish, for a given product - this is the specificity, mastering which is not at all an easy matter, since the taste of the dish largely depends on the correct combination of the main dish with the side dish.
By emphasizing the features, softening or increasing the spiciness of the main product, its fat content, saltiness, acidity or sweetness, a well-chosen side dish significantly improves the taste of the dish. An unsuitable side dish with its unpleasant taste combination can significantly reduce the taste of the dish. For example, it is not customary to serve steamed sturgeon with noodles or lingonberry jam, or viscous porridge with beefsteak.
The art of a culinary specialist lies in the fact that he knows how to prepare a dish well, correctly compose its flavor bouquet, and skillfully combine the main components of the dish - the main product, sauce and side dish. Some combinations of products have long been known, which together create very attractive, pleasant taste “ensembles”. Such are, for example, combinations of rice and many chicken and chicken dishes; green peas and a variety of cutlets; stewed cabbage and fried pork or goose; champignons and many delicacies made from fish, poultry, etc. All these well-known combinations are based either on the similar qualities of the products, as is the case with rice and chicken meat, when both components are distinguished by their delicate taste, or on the ability of the side dish to soften the fat content product, as happens when combining roast goose or pork with stewed cabbage.
Potato side dishes occupy a special place in cooking. The taste qualities of this product make it an almost universal side dish, which is successfully applied to numerous and varied dishes.
But still, depending on the taste characteristics of the main product, potatoes are subjected to various culinary treatments, since it is not at all indifferent in what form the potatoes are served as a side dish. For some dishes, such as boiled tongue, sausages, ham, it is served in the form of mashed potatoes, for boiled fish, boiled potatoes are usually used, for fried fish - fried, for portioned fried meat dishes - dry fried potatoes (chips, straws, etc.).
The choice of side dish also depends on the purpose of the dish. That is why cold dishes and snacks, in accordance with their purpose in the diet - to stimulate appetite, are usually accompanied by spicy or salty side dishes, such as pickles and marinades, vegetables with various spicy dressings and sauces, etc.
When choosing a side dish for cold dishes or appetizers, you must also take into account that the products for such a side dish should be tasty and appetizing even when cold. For these reasons, crabs, eggs, crayfish tails, etc. are widely used as side dishes for cold appetizers, but cereals and pasta, which, as a rule, are not served cold, are avoided.
All side dishes can be divided into simple, that is, consisting of one product (mashed potatoes, porridge, pasta, etc.), and complex.
Typically a complex side dish consists of three to four varieties of vegetables. An example of a complex vegetable side dish is a combination of fried potatoes, carrots poached in milk sauce, boiled green peas, beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or kohlrabi.
The selection of a complex side dish requires special attention from the cook, since when making it it is necessary to take into account not only the flavor combinations of the side dish and the main product, but also all the components of the side dish itself.
The presentation of the side dish also requires the skill and attention of the cook, since the side dish is the main element of the design and decoration of the dish, which largely determines the attractiveness of the appearance of the dish.
A beautifully, neatly, symmetrically placed side dish gives the dish a particularly attractive, appetizing look.
In this publication, all recipes for dishes that are usually served with side dishes indicate the side dishes that best suit the taste characteristics of the dish. This, however, does not exclude replacing these side dishes with others if necessary, due to the lack of seasonal products or if the cook wants to create a new combination. It is necessary to remember that an indispensable and obligatory condition for selecting a side dish is the correct consideration of the taste characteristics of the dish and the harmony of the combination of products.
Almost every hot and cold meat or fish dish, and many appetizers, should be served with side dishes. A wide range of products are used to prepare them: vegetables, cereals, pasta, mushrooms and even fruits.
Vegetable side dishes are especially popular. Both fresh and canned vegetables are used for their preparation. They are boiled, poached, fried, baked and stewed. Usually vegetables for a side dish are prepared in the same way as for an independent dish.
Cereal side dishes are viscous or crumbly porridges. Pasta is used boiled, and legumes are used boiled in the form of whole grains or puree.
Specifics of using side dishes
Garnish served:
- to enrich the dish with additional nutrients (for example, if the main dish is meat products containing little fiber),
- to increase its volume and mass,
- to improve the taste of the dish.
The most important point is not so much the preparation of the side dish itself, but its correct selection for a specific dish or product. This is a real art, since the taste of the food largely depends on the harmonious combination of the main dish and side dish.
A properly selected side dish emphasizes the characteristics, softens or increases the spiciness of the main product, and corrects its fat content, saltiness, sweetness or acidity. Thus, it improves the taste of the dish. An unsuitable side dish can worsen the taste of the dish.
The art of a cook is the ability to prepare a dish well, as well as to correctly compose its flavor bouquet, skillfully combining the main components of the dish: the main product, sauce and side dish.
Chefs have long been aware of combinations of products that together create very attractive and tasty “ensembles”. For example: rice and chicken dishes, green peas and a variety of cutlets, stewed cabbage and fried pork or goose, champignons and delicacies of fish and poultry. These known combinations can be based on the following points:
- Similar product qualities. For example, rice and chicken have a delicate taste.
- The ability of a side dish to soften the fat content of the product. For example, stewed cabbage reduces the fat content of fried goose or pork. And if you bought such a fairly fatty product as Ukrainian sausage wholesale, then you also need to think about how to mitigate its calorie content.
Potato side dishes
Potato side dishes occupy a special place in cooking. After all, the taste qualities of this vegetable make it almost universal; it can be successfully applied to numerous and varied dishes.
However, depending on the taste of the main product, potatoes are subjected to various culinary treatments. It is of great importance in what form the potatoes are served as a side dish. Some dishes, for example, boiled tongue, semi-smoked sausages, sausages require mashed potatoes as a side dish. Others: boiled fish - boiled potatoes, and fried fish - fried. For portioned fried meat dishes, dry fried potatoes in the form of chips or strips are suitable.
Garnish and purpose of the dish
The choice of side dish also depends on the purpose of the dish. Therefore, cold dishes, as well as appetizers that should stimulate the appetite, are usually served with a side dish with a spicy or salty taste. These can be pickles, marinades or vegetables seasoned with various hot sauces or dressings.
When choosing a side dish for cold dishes, you need to take into account that the products for its preparation must be tasty and appetizing even when cold. Therefore, eggs, crabs, crayfish necks, etc. are often used as side dishes for cold dishes. However, you should avoid cereals and pasta, because they are usually not served cold.
Simple and complex side dishes
Side dishes can be divided into:
- Simple ones, which consist of one product. For example: mashed potatoes, pasta, porridge;
- Complex. They usually consist of 3-4 varieties of vegetables. For example: a complex vegetable side dish of fried potatoes, carrots poached in milk sauce, boiled green peas, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower and beans.
Selecting a complex side dish requires special attention from the cook, since it is necessary to take into account not just the flavor combinations of the main product and the side dish, but also all the components of the latter.
The presentation of the side dish also requires the attention and skill of the cook, since it is the main element in the design and decoration of the dish, that is, it largely determines its attractiveness. A neatly and beautifully placed side dish will give the dish a particularly appetizing look.
There are a great variety of second courses in the world - dishes invented by humanity throughout the history of its existence. Many of them, according to classical recipes, require an addition, which is often used as a decoration, but also has practical functions: giving additional flavor or a taste contrasting with the main ingredient. We'll talk about what a side dish is in our next article.
Importance in modern kitchen
In modern culinary art, this concept is interpreted somewhat more broadly than, for example, at the beginning of the last century. What is a side dish today? This additive can accompany drinks, and also include products that are placed in a container with consommé, or what is placed on portioned pieces of meat.
What are they made from?
Side dishes are usually made from various kinds of vegetables and root vegetables, cereals and legumes. Today, options are possible with seafood, mushrooms, and fruits. There are also culinary recipes in nature that are composed of several types of products, sometimes having radical differences in taste, which perfectly emphasizes the contrasts intended by the chef. But today we’ll tell you in more detail about how to make simple side dishes, for example, from rice, vegetables, potatoes. In general, about those types that are available to every housewife in the average Russian kitchen. What is a side dish? In French, this word means “to fill”, “to decorate”. Let's try to decorate and saturate familiar dishes with the help of side dishes.
Vegetable side dish
The variety of options for this kind of additives is simply amazing. Vegetables can be used in various combinations with each other. For example, potatoes with onions and carrots or zucchini, potatoes and cauliflower. And side dishes can be made from one type. A striking example is mashed potatoes, familiar to everyone from childhood. Vegetables also go well with cereals such as rice and legumes such as beans. The following side dishes are served with meat dishes: cutlets, chops, liver. Fish are no exception. Who hasn't tried fried or boiled fish with mashed potatoes at least once in their life? Let's try to make the simplest side dish of vegetables.
Carrots plus potatoes
An excellent addition to meat or fish. It’s easy to prepare and is absorbed by the body perfectly! To prepare, take 5-7 potatoes and a couple of medium-sized carrots. You also need herbs (parsley, dill), salt and water.
Rice as a side dish
This cereal stands at the origins of human development, and in many countries it is one of the main additives used. Making rice as a side dish couldn't be easier. There are many ways to prepare it. Let's use one of the ones suggested by the chefs.
Preparation
We will need: rice, lean oil, garlic, salt.
- Peel a few cloves of garlic. We make cuts on both sides.
- Heat the oil (a few tablespoons) in a saucepan and fry the garlic until golden brown.
- Remove the garlic and fry the rice in the same oil for a few minutes until it becomes translucent.
- Fill the rice with water (according to the good old recipe: 1 part cereal and 2 parts water, that is, if you have a glass of rice, then you need to take two glasses of liquid), add salt and cover with a lid.
- Cook on the lowest heat for about 15 minutes.
- Thus, all the introduced water has time to boil away, and the side dish turns out crumbly and aromatic.
This type of addition goes well with fish and seafood dishes. Can also be used as an independent dish. When served, naturally fermented soy sauce is perfect for serving. You can also make sweet side dishes from rice with dried or fresh fruits, adding a spoonful of honey and spices.
Pasta seasoned with grated cheese
What is a pasta side dish? It is prepared just as easily as the previous ones. By the way, in some countries it acts as an independent dish.
Let's take a pack (those that do not need to be washed later). Add the raw materials into boiling water, stirring constantly to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan (it should be larger in size). Usually the cooking time for the flour product is written on the package. As a rule, this is 10-15 minutes. You should not overcook them, as they can stick together and ruin the entire appearance. Then drain the water and add oil to the hot pasta. Mix and sprinkle with grated hard cheese.
Advice: you need to take real cheese, without additives, and not a cheese product. Then your side dish will be finger-licking good!
A side dish is not just an addition that goes along with the main fish, meat or chicken dish. It helps make any meal more healthy and appetizing. A properly selected side dish is the key to a tasty and varied lunch.
1. Boiled, poached, baked, fish cutlets and meatballs go well with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice, fresh vegetables (except tomatoes), lettuce and other greens, stewed vegetables (a good option is stewed carrots with onions and prunes). You can add a slice of lemon to fatty fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, trout). Unsuitable side dishes for fish dishes: pasta, most cereals (except rice), legumes.
2. Poultry dishes (chicken, duck, turkey) goes well with rice. Also suitable for poultry are fresh vegetables, mashed potatoes, stewed vegetables, vegetable cutlets and pancakes (for example, zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli or carrots), most legumes (beans, lentils, green peas). Undesirable companions for poultry dishes are pasta and cereals.
3.Meat (beef, pork, rabbit and lamb) They go well with rice, buckwheat, fresh and boiled vegetables, which help digest animal protein easier. It is not recommended to complement meat dishes with pasta and potatoes.
4.Seafood dishes (squid, shrimp) served with rice, pasta (all types of pasta are suitable, as well as buckwheat and rice noodles), vegetables. An unfortunate addition to shrimp and squid are buckwheat, millet and legumes.
Potato side dish.
Potatoes are considered a “universal” side dish. It is in various forms of culinary processing - fried in various ways, boiled and in the form of puree - used as a side dish for a variety of dishes and snacks made from meat, fish, poultry and game.
The most common combinations of side dish and main product include:
Boiled potatoes and boiled fish, fried potatoes and fried fish;
For portioned fried meat dishes, mainly fried potatoes (in the form of cubes, strips, etc.) are served as a side dish.
Mashed potatoes are most suitable for boiled tongue, sausages, and ham.
Boiled poultry dishes are served with boiled potatoes and mashed potatoes.
Vegetable side dishes.
The sweetish taste of a side dish made from carrots. That is why stewed or boiled carrots are served with chicken dishes, chicken, chopped cutlets, and boiled fish.
Green pea has a very spicy and delicate taste . It goes best with natural and chopped cutlets made from beef, pork, veal, lamb, dishes made from boiled ham, tongue, poultry and game, etc.
Side dishes from stew white cabbage goes well with pork dishes and roast geese.
Boiled and fried cauliflower served with poultry dishes.
Excellent taste is well suited for garnishing gourmet poultry, game and fish dishes. champignons.
Stewed and pickled beets used mainly as a side dish for fried meat dishes.
Fried tomatoes- An excellent side dish for tobacco chicken and kebabs.
Boiled pods are offered as a side dish for various oriental dishes. green beans.
Cereal side dishes
For side dishes, crumbly porridges are mainly used. Most often, rice and buckwheat (kernels) are taken here.
Crumbly rice x goes well with boiled chickens and chickens. Rice It is also the main side dish for lamb dishes.
Dishes of stewed and fried meat products are served as a side dish with crumbly buckwheat porridge.
It should be noted that in general, cereal side dishes are most often used for meat dishes, since they are not well suited to the taste of fish dishes. But many people love fried carp, carp, and bream served with buckwheat porridge.
Pasta side dishes
Pasta products are also mainly used to prepare side dishes for meat dishes.
As side dishes for second meat courses of pork, beef, and poultry, pasta seasoned with butter, cheese, and tomato puree is mainly used. Pasta is also served with minced meat cutlets.
Side dishes for cold dishes and snacks
For side dishes for appetizers, mainly products with a strong taste are used - pickles and marinades, soaked and pickled vegetables, berries, lemon slices, green olives, black olives, etc.
When choosing a side dish for cold appetizers and dishes, you should also take into account that the products used should be cold and that you should not consume quickly cooling fats, which leave an unpleasant greasy aftertaste.
What is the best side dish for cutlets?
So, the side dish for cutlets (and any other meat dish) should be vegetarian. In addition, it should not have too bright and rich, in other words, an independent taste. And, of course, you can’t serve foods that don’t go well together (for example, sweet fruits won’t be very appropriate with fish, but just right with chicken). And one more important nuance: the more complex the main dish, the simpler the complementary dish should be.
Side dish for chicken Kiev
This dish goes well with a variety of vegetables, both fresh and processed. It would go well with a salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, potatoes (boiled or fried), spaghetti sprinkled with cheese, baked zucchini or pumpkin, and peppers stuffed with rice. We must not forget about traditional green peas - if used not too often, their taste will add originality to the dish.
Garnish for fish cutlets
This once floating dish goes surprisingly well with a large number of appetizers, most of them vegetable. A stew of potatoes, carrots, cabbage and zucchini, green beans, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, pickled mushrooms, lentils, and rice will perfectly highlight its taste. It is best to season the snack with lemon juice and vegetable oil, which will significantly improve its taste and help the food to be absorbed.
Side dish for poultry cutlets
Tender and dietary chicken or turkey - what could be better? Especially if you serve them with an equally delicious and light dish. Rice (optionally pilaf), mashed potatoes, and vegetable salad go well with poultry cutlets. They will be successfully complemented by a sweet and spicy appetizer made from pineapples, olives and garlic and seasoned with mayonnaise. Another amazing option is asparagus Milanese. This dish is prepared as follows: fresh asparagus is boiled for 10 minutes in salted water, chopped, mixed with grated boiled egg and cheese, seasoned with butter.-
The word “garnish” comes to us from France and is translated as “to complement, decorate or supply.” Initially, vegetables that were served with meat or fish dishes were called a side dish. But now the side dish has become more varied - housewives have come up with many ways to serve vegetables, pasta and cereals, which serve as an addition to the main treat, but require no less attention.
The side dish is designed to emphasize and complement the taste of the main culinary creation, and you will learn from this article how to choose it correctly so as not to spoil the overall impression of the meal.
What can you prepare as a side dish?
There are actually many options for side dishes. Almost any vegetable or fruit dish, as well as cereals and various snacks, can serve as this.
Most often, to “accompany” the main dish they use:
- various cereals;
- cereals and beans;
- mushrooms;
- boiled and stewed vegetables;
- pasta;
- greenery;
- meat and vegetable broths;
- bakery products;
- fruits;
- meat and sausages.
Cooking method matters
When choosing a side dish, you need to consider not only the products that will be used for it, but also the cooking method. For example, mashed potatoes are more versatile than fried or baked potatoes, and steamed vegetables and vegetable stew with a variety of spices and additives are completely incomparable.
Which side dish should you choose?
It is very important that the side dish be combined with the main dish, so before choosing the main dish, pay special attention to thinking through the side dish, and if you cannot find a worthy addition to the main dish, then it is better to replace it.
Did you know that fish absolutely does not go well with any pasta? Rice, potatoes, and vegetables such as beets or carrots are ideal for boiled fish. If you decide to cook fried fish, choose fried potatoes, such as french fries, as a side dish.
The following products are suitable for meat dishes: rice, pasta, fried zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, tomatoes. Please note: zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants are ideal not only for meat dishes, but also for fish. You can surprise your guests by serving dried or pickled fruits with the meat. And don’t forget about greens: from dill to celery. Greens add fresh flavor to almost any dish. And, of course, greens are especially useful in spring and early autumn.
Poultry, in particular chicken, goes well with vegetable side dishes, boiled or oven-baked potatoes, as well as rice and legumes. You don’t have to limit your imagination and combine different options, for example, cook rice with vegetables.
Illustrative examples
Let's take a closer look at how to choose the right side dish for the main dish.
So, for example, if you decide to pamper your loved ones, try to cook for her or, and don’t forget about.
Universal side dish
There is such a thing as a “universal side dish”. This category primarily includes mashed or boiled potatoes, rice, legumes, mushrooms and fresh vegetables. They go well with any meat and fish. If you don’t know what to complement the main course with, choose something from the above and you won’t go wrong!
Of course, the side dish is selected in accordance with personal taste preferences, so if we are talking about entertaining guests, you can give them the opportunity to choose a worthy accompaniment for the main dish and prepare several options. At the same time, keep in mind that each of the proposed side dishes should be served in a separate bowl, or served in portions along with the “main character” of the feast.
The secret to the perfect side dish is simple. : be guided by your taste, but do not forget about our advice!
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