22 February 2011
Brussels Sprouts And Chestnuts With Maple Glaze - A Recipe
I have never liked brussels sprouts, feeling they were the devil's food rather than the fairy cabbages that friends have sought to con their children with. I have always dreaded Christmas lunch with the obligatory brussels sprouts or as in my case sprout. So it was with great interest that Sophie told me about a recipe for brussels sprouts that even haters seemed to like.
It comes from a great little cook book "The Boxing Clever Cookbook" by Jacqui Jones and Joan Wilmot, which is full of recipes to liven up the repetitive dullness that seems to creep into your veg from a box scheme over the months, especially in the depths of winter. You know what it's like: week after week of struggling to liven up turnip or cabbage, or even what to do with brussels sprouts.
The recipe that we liked is brussels sprouts with chestnuts and maple syrup, which basically masks the bitter, cabbagy flavour of brussels sprouts by mixing it with the nuttiness of chestnuts and loads of butter and maple syrup. Could I still taste the brussels sprouts? Yes, but when diluted with the other flavours, it was actually quite pleasant, so while I won't be eating brussels sprouts on their own, this is not at all bad.
Brussels Sprouts And Chestnuts With Maple Glaze
Adapted from "The Boxing Clever Cookbook" by Jacqui Jones & Joan Wilmot
90g / 3oz / ⅓ cup cooked, peeled chestnuts, chopped into small dice
225g / ½ lb / 1 cup brussels sprouts, trimmed with outer leaves removed and X on base
3tbsp maple syrup
20g / 1oz butter
1. Boil the sprouts for about 10 minutes until they are tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside. Quarter them if you want or keep whole as I did.
2. Put the maple syrup into a pan and warm. Add the butter and chestnuts and stir as the butter melts. Add the sprouts and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Enjoy.
