SUPER SPROUTS

i’M Desperate for emerald green sprouts like those in the ads. instead my watery, grey, overcooked offerings are a family joke. And i’m not alone.

‘i was once asked to style a giant bowl of overcooked sprouts for a travel company’s campaign,’ says Vicki. ‘photos of my mushy mess went up on billboards on Boxing Day with the tagline: “time to leave the country.” ’

try this crafty tip to lock in the colour. ‘they need two minutes tops,’ says Vicki firmly. ‘put the sprouts in rapidly boiling water — if you start with cold water you risk overcooking. Bring the pan back to the boil.

‘the second the colour becomes more vibrant, drain the sprouts thoroughly, then plunge them into cold water.’

When you’re ready to serve, drop the sprouts back into boiling water for a few seconds. Alternatively, to show them off at their shining best, Vicki pan-fries them in a little hot olive oil.

Loose leaves make the sprouts look slushy, so discard any before you serve them up.

You could also try this slightly bizarre trick to stop spouts browning or going grey when exposed to the air: dunk them in a litre of water in which a large vitamin C tablet has been dissolved. the ascorbic acid it contains will prevent the chemical reaction that turns the sprouts brown. And does this affect the taste? Apparently not.