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It’s not a Christmas dinner without a serving of Brussels sprouts and while most people will avoid the green veggies, Mirror writer Niamh Kirk decided to try out Jamie Oliver’s ‘best ever’ recipe
Some love Brussels sprouts and some hate them – but this recipe will make everyone go in for second helpings.
They are more of a controversial festive offering, but Jamie Oliver has promised to make everyone fall in love with the green veggie thanks to his recipe with one secret ingredient.
While I can’t say I am usually a huge fan of the love-it-or-hate-it vegetable – I usually add one or two to my plate for the sake of Christmas, but now I am a serious sprout lover thanks to this recipe, and will be eating some pretty huge helpings. So, for those ready to take on the task of cooking the Christmas dinner, here’s the recipe…
The ingredients you’ll need are:
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800g Brussels sprouts
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2 higher-welfare Cumberland sausages
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½ a bunch of fresh sage (15g)
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20g unsalted butter
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1 onion
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1 sweet eating apple
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1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
The apple brings sweetness, while the sausages and Worcestershire sauce (the secret ingredient) makes the dish ultra savoury. I love the idea of using sausage rather than bacon here as you get the same salty hit with more depth and richness. The good thing about this recipe is that you can either cook them on the day, or prepare them a day or two in advance and crisp them up in the oven just before serving. This recipe has a rating of “not too tricky” so for a novice like me, it was perfect.
Firstly, I prepared my Brussels sprouts and peeled off any tatty leaves, halved some of the bigger ones and boiled in a large pan of salted water for five minutes. Once cooked, I drained them and left to steam dry.
Next, I placed some butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat (I put a little more than the recommended amount) and fried up the sage leaves until they turned crispy and then put into a small bowl on the side. In the same pan, I squeezed the sausage meat from the sausage skins directly into the pan and broke it up with a spoon. You want the meat as small as possible so there is a generous amount in each spoonful of sprouts.
I fried them for around five minutes until they browned. While they were cooking I finely sliced the onion and chopped up the rest of the sage and then added to the pan and cooked for another five minutes to soften the onions. You will really start to get a festive aroma in your kitchen at this point!
Next, I peeled the apple and removed the core to finely dice up and add into the pan along with the boiled sprouts. It’s then time to add in the Worcestershire sauce and toss until hot through. Then they are ready to serve – and don’t forget to scatter over the sage. Enjoy!
Do you have a story to share? Email Niamh.Kirk@reachplc.com
