Love or loathe them, Brussels sprouts at Christmas is tradition, although Nigella Lawson has made them utterly delicious.
“What follows is now my own traditional way of cooking them,” Nigella said of her recipe.
Pairing the vegetable with chestnuts, parsley and pancetta, a flavoursome dish is guaranteed.
“Obviously, if you can’t get your hands on pancetta, it’s fine to use bacon,” said Nigella.
“Just scissor it up, and fry it in a little more oil than you need for the pancetta, before proceeding.”
Christmassy Brussels sprouts
Serves: eight to 10 people
Ingredients
One kg Brussels sprouts
250g pancetta (rind removed, cut into 1cm cubes)
One tbsp vegetable oil
30g butter
250g vacuum-packed chestnuts
60ml marsala (fortified wine)
One large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Method
Trim the bottoms off each of the sprouts, cutting a cross into each as you go, then tip into a large pan of salted boiling water for five minutes.
Meanwhile, in another large pan, cook the pancetta in oil until browned, then add the butter and chestnuts, breaking them up a little bit.
Once warmed through, turn up the heat and add in the Marsala fortified wine, let it bubble, then add in the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle in half of the parsley.
Add pepper, then put the mixed dish onto a warmed serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining parsley.