SEASONAL STAR
Rosie Birkett’s sprout recipes
Having long been mired by memories of the stench of sodden, sulphurous school dinners, Brussels sprouts are finally making a comeback, and for the last couple of years, we’ve seen them gracing our plates in modish restaurants in various highly palatable forms. And so they should be. I’ve always loved these miraculous miniature cabbages, and have fond memories of criss-crossing the stems – it’s since been revealed needlessly – for Sunday lunch.
My own mother was a whizz at cooking them perfectly, which in our house meant blanching in vigorously boiling salted water until tender in the middle but still vividly green, drained and then allowed to steam-dry for a minute, then tossed in plenty of salted butter, with extra salt and pepper. I did, and still do, eat them straight from the buttery pan, and can’t ever stand to leave one on my plate. Though, like other cabbages, the little brassica buds are native to the Mediterranean, they have been popular in northern Europe for centuries, having been cultivated in what is now Belgium since the 1200s.
But it was while living in North America, where sprouts are as cool as kale, that I was opened up to the incredible versatility of this seemingly quintessential European veg. At a trendy Italian restaurant in Seattle, I ate them raw and shaved finely in a sprightly, crunchy, buttermilk-dressed salad and it was a revelation, which helped me realise there is so much more to sprouts than school dinners and Sunday lunch.
Eaten raw, they are nutty and begging to be a vehicle for an interesting dressing, deepfried they take on a gorgeous crispiness, their leaves crunching in papery layers akin to filo pastry. Baked into a tart they offer substance and texture, and pair beautifully with both blue and nutty cheeses such as comté. Look out for more colourful purple and red varieties at farmers' markets or greengrocers, and I always buy them on the stem if I can as they stay fresher for longer and it saves on pointless plastic packaging. Another bonus to buying them on the stem from the greengrocer is that you’re sometimes able to get them with the sprout tops intact, which is a massive plus as the tops are utterly delicious – in fact, they are one of my favourite greens of all-time. Blanched in salted water and dressed simply with butter and salt and pepper, or a more Italian vibe with anchovies, olive oil and a bit of dried red chilli, they are a beautiful accompaniment to meat or fish, and lovely in pasta, too. I hope after reading and making these recipes, you’ll love your sprouts just as much as I do! ALSO IN SEASON apples beetroot cabbage carrots celeriac chestnuts chicory endives Jerusalem artichokes kale leeks mushrooms parsnips pears quinces red cabbage salsify and scorzonera sloes spinach swede