sprout surprise

FOR this dish, John was inspired by Ilili, a Lebanese restaurant on 5th Avenue near Madison Square Park in New York City. Serve them alone, or as a side for roasted meat.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2-4)

75g dried figs, finely chopped 75ml dry sherry 200g natural yogurt 1tbsp finely chopped fresh mint 1tbsp sunflower oil 500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 200g sharp-tasting green grapes, halved 75g pecans, roughly chopped ½tbsp sherry vinegar 2tsp ground sumac Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped Sea salt flakes

METHOD:

Combine the figs and sherry in a small pan and bring to the boil. Boil until the figs cook down and you have a thick paste. Add a splash of water to loosen it into a thick puree. Set aside until needed.

Mix the yogurt with the mint and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a decent-sized frying pan over a high heat. Once the oil shimmers from the heat, add the sprouts and fry, tossing frequently, until they smell delightfully nutty and have started to char. Add the grapes and pecans and fry, tossing, for a further minute, then add the sherry vinegar, sumac and parsley and toss together. Finally add the fig puree and toss to combine.

Serve the sprouts on a platter, with the yogurt drizzled over the top.