280g shaved Brussels sprouts
60g dried cranberries, cut into pieces
50g pancetta, diced
30g pecan nuts, chopped into small pieces
30g parmesan cheese shavings (you can use a vegetable peeler to achieve thin shavings)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped into very small pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil (you may need to add a little more if the dressing needs it)
50ml lemon juice
¼ teaspoon maple syrup
Salt and pepper, to season
What to do:
1. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, oil, lemon juice, syrup and salt and pepper until completely combined
2. Mix the sprouts, cranberries, pancetta, pecans, and onion together in a large bowl, before pouring over your salad dressing
3. Toss all of the ingredients together to make sure the salad is completed coated, then cover with cling film and put in the fridge for up to an hour
4. Before serving, sprinkle over the parmesan shavings
200g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
500g potatoes, cooked and crushed
1 egg, beaten
50g plain flour
100g finely ground breadcrumbs, seasoned
300ml vegetable oil
200g tin chopped tomatoes
Small bunch of coriander, chopped
1tsp Worcester sauce
1 shallot finely sliced
What to do:
1. Drop the sprouts into boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water. Combine with the potato, mashing them together with a fork. Season well and form the mixture into 12 croquettes.
2. Place the egg in a bowl, the flour on a plate and the breadcrumbs on a second plate. Dip each croquette into the flour first, to coat, then the egg and lastly the breadcrumbs. Make sure each is fully covered. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
3. To make the dip combine the tomatoes, coriander, Worcester sauce and shallot, season and set aside.
4. Pour the oil into a large, deep frying pan, to a depth of about 4cm, and place over a medium-high heat. Fry the croquettes until golden all over for a total of 5 minutes – you may need to do this in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with the dip.
Why not try:
You can leave the dip chunky or, for kids, blend it smooth.
650g potatoes, chopped into quarters
6 rashers back bacon, finely diced
250g Brussels sprouts, shredded
Oil for frying
Ground black pepper
What to do:
1. Place the potatoes in a large pan of water and bring to the boil then simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
2. Fry the bacon in a frying pan with a dash of oil till crisp then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then tip the shredded sprouts into the same pan and stir until wilted and tender.
3. Once the potatoes are done, drain them and roughly crush them with a potato masher or a fork. Tip in the bacon and potato into the frying pan with the sprouts, over a low heat season with black pepper and stir to combine making sure you incorporate any meaty bits from the bottom of the pan.
1. Finely shred the sprouts using a grater, knife or mandolin.
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon zest and season to taste.
3. In a frying pan toast the pumpkin seeds until browned. In a serving bowl combine the shredded sprouts with the dressing and half the seeds mixing well then scatter over the remaining seeds.
Why not try:
Delicious served with smoked mackerel or a cheesy quiche. Alternatively it makes a great BBQ side dish.
Brussels sprouts are really delicious if boiled only until just soft, and added to salty ingredients, like ham, as well as crunchy ingredients like pine nuts. Served on top of toast, they make a wonderful light starter. Sourdough breads make great toast, as they have really good crusts and a deep flavour.
Preparation time:
15 minutes
Cooking time:
15 minutes
Serves:
4
What You’ll need:
20 Brussels sprouts, peeled, trimmed and sliced in half
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
100g hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
5 Duke of York or Pink Fir potatoes, cooked with their skins and chopped into small pieces
4 slices of good quality butcher’s ham, in small shreds
4 slices of good quality sourdough bread.
120g grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
1 tbsp fresh or dried oregano, finely chopped
What to do:
1. Steam the Brussels sprout pieces in a double boiler til quite soft, but still bright green. Place on a clean food tray, to spread out and stop the steaming. Set aside.
2. Take a heavy saute pan, heat some oil and gently sweat the garlic and onion until soft. Add some salt and a little water to allow the garlic to steam slowly. When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped hazelnuts, the potato pieces and the ham. Mix well.
3. Add the soft sprouts. Taste for seasoning, adding more sea salt and pepper if you want to. Then place a lid on the pan, and set aside somewhere warm.
4. Take the 4 slices of bread, drizzle with a little olive oil on both sides, and toast under the grill. Alternatively, you can just toast the bread without olive oil in a normal toaster, and then drizzle a little olive oil on top.
5. Place a toasted bread slice on each of four serving plates. Spoon the sprout mixture on top, generously. Sprinkle on the grated Parmiggiano Reggiano and oregano on top and serve.
