Boiled brussels sprouts are a bit boring and are a hundred times nicer fried or roasted. I have served these to people who don’t even like brussels and they were converted into sprout fans. This might be a good way to get kids to eat them too. They are a really healthy part of any meal, as they contain astonishing levels of Vitamin C. Perfect with Thanksgiving or Christmas fare, but also really delish as a side dish to dinner anytime and of course they are an essential ingredient to the Boxing Day bubble and squeak.

Recipe

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
500g Brussel sprouts, halved
30g butter or olive oil
180g packet of cooked and peeled chestnuts (from the supermarket) roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

How:
In a pan of water, par boil the sprouts for 5 minutes then drain.
In a large sauté pan, heat the butter or oil and fry the sprouts until tender and slightly browning.
Add the chestnuts, salt and pepper and stir fry until cooked through and starting to get brown.

Lastly… I always buy the smallest brussel sprouts I can find in the supermarket or at the grocers, as they are sweeter. The best brussel sprouts are the ones still attached to the long stalk, and  I can get these in my supermarket in the run up to Christmas. The sprouts stay fresh while they are attached to the stalk, and when we were kids our brussel stalk was stored out side on the lawn, which is the perfect place to keep it, as they say that brussel sprouts are much better after a frost, as this enhances their flavour and makes them taste sweeter. Anyway they are really good for you too and are full of vitamin C (three times as much weight for weight) and full of fibre and cholesterol lowering compounds, so they are a superfood too.

I shop at:
Waitrose
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Lidl