While we may think of Brussels sprouts as being one of the least appetising components to a Christmas dinner, according to data from Statista, it’s one of the most popular parts. Even more popular, in fact, than Yorkshire pudding.
Shocking, I know.
Once the gravy is gone and there are just random tubs of vegetables in the fridge on Boxing Day, though, what do we do with them?
While it might be tempting to throw them into a turkey sandwich or even a stir fry, according to one chef, sprouts actually taste better the day after cooking – and with the right ingredients, you can revive yours into something that will refresh your palate and give them a new lease of life.
‘Sprouts love salt and acid’
Ashley Bennett, head chef at Southeast Asian restaurant Ka Pao, revealed that a night in the fridge really gives leftover sprouts time to shine. She said: “Once they’ve spent a night in the fridge, they dry out a bit and their flavour deepens.
“Then all you really need is some proper heat and a bright dressing.”
This is done by heating a pan or wok until it’s blazing hot.
Bennett added: “If the sprouts have already been boiled or steamed the day before, that’s perfect. They’ll go beautifully crisp in that heat. I add a splash of oil and let them get golden and lightly charred on the edges.
“It’s the opposite of that soggy Christmas sprout people dread.”
According to the chef, this is actually the ideal time to tuck into a dish like this, too as “sprouts love salt and acid”.
“After days of gravy, stuffing and potatoes, your palate wants something sharp, something with a bit of chilli or lime,” she said.
“So, I make a dressing with garlic, lime juice, sugar and either soybean paste or fish sauce, then I throw in bird’s-eye chillies. While the sprouts are hot, I toss them through it so they soak it up.”
So simple, yet so smart!
Ashley’s Nam Prik Pao-style dressing recipe
To make this yourself, use these as rough proportions, not exact measurements:
• 5 parts soybean paste or fish sauce
• 2 parts sugar
• 1 part garlic (finely minced)
• 4 parts lime juice
• Bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced, to taste
“It should hit salty, sour, sweet and hot all at once,” she says. “Taste and adjust as you go. That’s the whole point.”
Finally, the chef has one extra tip for leftover sprouts: “Avoid water at all costs,” she warns.
“Steaming or microwaving is a fast track to that sulphur smell. You want dry, high heat: pan fry, roast, or put them in a screaming hot wok.”
Noted.
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