P
Dorset
L E N T Y
The Vital Ingredi ent:
Brussels Spr uts
Tom East discovers that sprouts aren’t just for Christmas,
and they’re certainly not for boiling for 20 minutes.
W
8
hen heavy rainfall threatened a sprout shortage in 2012, half
the country were probably having their Christmas
celebrations early. This Marmite of the vegetable world
certainly splits opinion – the haters probably can’t shake the
memory of these little cabbage bombs seeping sulphuric odours from
their criss-crossed bottoms. That’s what happens when you heed your
granny’s advice and boil the brassicas for 20 minutes, before dumping
them naked on a cold plate next to the overcooked turkey.
However, when boiled for five minutes and tossed with pancetta,
sprouts, shallots and foaming butter, they are like a different vegetable.
That said, if you are having them alongside turkey, stuffing, and those
moreish little sausages wrapped in bacon, you might want to keep things
simple and serve your sprouts with a garlic or citrus butter. You can even
roast them alongside your other veg, caramelising their outer leaves to
bring out some natural sweetness.
Sprouts, like dogs, shouldn’t just be for Christmas. The reason why
sprouts are devoured on the big day is because, other than kale, they’re
pretty much the only green vegetable that’s in season in December. Yet,
unlike kale - which has enjoyed a renaissance - the poor sprout is
tolerated as a traditional festive vegetable, before being discarded for
another year along with the bread sauce. It shouldn’t be that way. The
Brussels sprout is just as good for you as kale. An 80g serving of sprouts
contains four times as much vitamin C as an orange, while they also
contain high levels of vitamin A, folic acid and fibre.
Sprouts can be treated like cabbage, meaning they’re great sliced and
stir-fried with chicken or pork, nuts, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chilli.
Or, if you want a saucier tea, try smothering them with a good-quality
Chinese oyster sauce. You can also make a meal of them with pasta,
red chilli, garlic, a little cooking water and parmesan. Or you could go
heavier and serve them in a cream sauce with bacon and grated cheese.
Sprouts needn’t be just a sideshow at Christmas dinner – they’re in
season until March, so these little members of the cabbage family will
stick around long after the party is over, if you extend the welcome.
Brussels sprouts and
bacon penne pasta
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
200g penne pasta
300g baby sprouts
3 shallots, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, finely chopped
8 slices of streaky bacon, cut into cubes
Parmesan, grated
Method
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon
bits until they’re brown. Remove from the pan.
2. Finely slice the shallots and gently fry in a glug of
olive oil for around 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the pasta in a large pan of boiling,
salted water.
4. When the shallots are softened, add the garlic
and the chilli to the pan for a minute, then stir in
the bacon.
5. With the pasta five minutes away from being
cooked, add the sprouts to the water.
6. Drain the pasta and sprouts, and add them to the
bacon and onion mixture. Season with salt and
pepper, serve in pasta bowls and top with lots of
grated parmesan.
Sprouts, Three Ways
There are many different ways of cooking and serving sprouts.
Here are some of our favourites.
Roast Sprouts
Roast sprouts with salt, pepper and
olive oil. It only takes 30 minutes,
and the results will be delicious.
Raw Sprouts
Shred or grate leftover sprouts and
serve them in a winter salad, like
this one with kale and almonds.
Steamed Sprouts
A winter classic – steam or boil
your sprouts and mix them with
cooked bacon and chestnuts.
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