Sprouts are not just for Christmas and indeed should be eaten throughout the frosty months in our opinion. We particularly like this recipe with butter, bacon bits and chestnuts – a sprout-lovers dream!
Buttered sprouts with chestnuts & bacon – serves 8 (easily halved)
- 1.25kg Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 6 rashers streaky smoked bacon cut into bit-sized pieces or cubes of pancetta
- 200g vacuum-packed chestnuts
- 50g butter
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and tip in the sprouts. Return to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, then drain and run under the cold tap until cold, then drain again.
Heat a large frying pan, add the bacon and gently fry for 10 minutes until crispy. Scoop the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and leave the fat behind, then add the chestnuts and fry over a high heat for about 5 minutes until they have darkened in places, then tip out of the pan.
Put the sprouts into the frying pan with a splash of water, then cover the pan with a lid and finish cooking over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove the cover, turn up the heat, then add most of the butter and sauté the sprouts for another 2 minutes. Tip in the bacon and chestnuts, season generously, then serve with the last bit of butter on top.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, December 2009.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 