Love them or hate them Brussels sprouts are an essential part of the festive season, and for too long they’ve had a poorly deserved reputation. The problem is they’ve been boiled! And not just boiled, but for way too long, shameful in my opinion, little wonder they are so intensely disliked.
So I’m on a mission to find a dozen different ways to cooks Brussels that are enjoyed, and every year I create a new recipe to tempt you with. I hope you’ll enjoy this one.
Ingredients:
1 kg Brussels sprouts, washed
1 tbsp Oil
¼ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp black pepper
250g diced pancetta
5 Whole garlic cloves with skin on
3-4 sage leaves
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions:
- Pre heat the oven to 180º C /gas mark 4
- Take the washed sprouts and remove any outer leaves, trim any excess on the base. Leave the sprouts whole, but put a small cross in the base to allow the flavours to be absorbed into the centre of the sprouts. If the sprouts are large then cut in half. Roughly dry the sprouts with kitchen towel paper to ensure they don’t get soggy in the oven.
- Now transfer the Brussels into a baking tray. Add the garlic cloves, sage leaves, 1 tbsp of oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Give them a shake to ensure the spouts are coated in oil.
- Add the pancetta cubes to the tray and roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the sprouts start to brown on the outside but are not burnt. Test the sprouts to check if they are cooked, they should be firm and crispy, if not, cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven dust with grated parmesan cheese and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes. Then serve immediately.
Cooks Tips: Be careful not to overcook the sprouts, in order to retain their texture and mineral value, the soggier they are the more bitter they can taste.
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
Comments