No British Christmas dinner is complete without Brussel sprouts and yet few people admit to liking them. But they are sold everywhere in vast quantities every December. So despite their rather windy consequences, people must secretly like them.
Personally I love them, and I serve them every Christmas without fail. But they need a little help to shine. For me, that means cooking them with some smoked bacon lardons, and some roasted chestnuts. The saltiness of the bacon and the texture of chestnuts really lift the sprouts and so this always proves a popular side dish.
I think the main reason Brussel sprouts have such a bad name is that they are often overcooked, which means they turn an unappetising, murky green colour and just taste mushy. To avoid this, I always follow a few basic rules:
- Always pan fry the Brussel sprouts so they retain their crunch and vibrant green colour. Never boil them – this is a sure fire way to turn them to mush.
- Never cut a cross on the stem end. Some people do this to help them cook quicker, but in my view this just makes them easier to overcook.
- Cook them until they are just cooked then stop. It’s really important to keep their crunchy texture.
There are so many showstoppers on the Christmas table, and people always talk about the more interesting dishes, and so I always get a certain satisfaction when the bowl of sprouts gets gobbled up – even if it is never quite clear who the culprits were!
Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 500 grams Brussel sprouts (stems trimmed and loose outer leaves removed, then cut in half through the stem)
- 200 grams cooked chestnuts
- 100 grams bacon lardons
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil and then saute the bacon lardons until crispy, then set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan large enough to hold the Brussel sprouts. Add the sprouts and then sauté over a medium heat until they go a bright green colour and can almost be pierced with a fork – about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the chestnuts and bacon lardons to the pan and sauté until the sprouts are cooked through, but still crunchy, and the chestnuts are warmed through – about 3-4 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper then serve. Just remember the bacon is quite salty so taste before you add any more salt.
