Christmas recipe: Crisp Brussels sprouts

Stroud writer Kate Young’s debut cookbook The Little Library Year was published to great acclaim last year, and now she’s back with her follow-up, The Little Library Christmas, a collection of 50 festive recipes

In The Green Road, the sprouts burn on Christmas Day, and Rosaleen reassures everyone that it doesn’t really matter, as no one likes them anyway. For me, that couldn’t be less true – they’re one of my favourite things on the Christmas table. In terms of cooking, I have to say, better a little burnt than over-boiled. Sprouts contain high levels of sulforaphane, which will make them taste like rotten eggs when cooked for too long. Avoid boiling them at all, if you can – young, tender sprouts cooked in a pan to a light char, like they are here, will be sweet and nutty and delicious. You want them ‘green as if they had just come from the garden’, as they are in The Country Child.

Serves 8

800g/1¾lb Brussels sprouts

2tbsp sesame oil

2tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp fish sauce

1tbsp rice vinegar

1tbsp sesame seeds

Handful of parsley leaves

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

1. Clean the Brussels sprouts, pull off any grim outer leaves, and trim the stem. Slice in half through the base. Warm a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Pour in the sesame oil and, once hot, add the sprouts. Cook for 6–8 minutes (depending on their size) until the sprouts are tender on the inside, and crisp and charred in places on the outside.

2. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, fish sauce and vinegar together in a bowl. Take the sprouts off the heat, add the dressing and toss. Top with the sesame seeds, parsley and chilli and serve immediately.

This recipe is taken from The Little Library Christmas, by Stroud writer, Kate Young. It’s published by Head of Zeus, £15 paperback/£10 ebook. headofzeus.com