SPROUTS WITH HAZELNUTS, BLACK PUDDING, SAGE AND APPLE
Nothing shouts December more than the humble sprout. We now have foil-wrapped chocolate versions, sparkly cartoon sprouts to hang on the Christmas tree, sprout-printed festive jumpers and much, much more. Yet on the big day itself, the sprout is often maligned, boiled until soft and sulphurous. It’s little wonder that this diminutive brassica gets a bad rap – especially so among the younger generation. Shredding and roasting sprouts until sweet and nutty is best, trust me. Add hazelnuts, black pudding, sage and apple, and you’re winning at Christmas dinner.
INGREDIENTS
• 150g good crustless bread, cut into 2cm pieces
• 6 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
• 40g hazelnuts, peeled and roasted and roughly chopped
• 350g sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 200g black pudding, roughly crumbled
• 2 green apples, cored and cut into wedges of 8
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp red wine or cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ½ small bunch of parsley, leaves roughly chopped
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, and line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper.
2. Add the bread to the tray and drizzle over with two tbsp of oil. Roast the bread in the oven until crisp and golden, stirring midway, for five to eight minutes. Remove from the oven and put to one side on a plate. Keep the tray.
3. Lightly roast the hazelnuts on the tray until they take on a bit of colour, around three minutes. Remove from the oven and put to one side on a plate. Roughly crush when cool enough to do so. Keep the tray.
4. Using the same tray lined with greaseproof, add the sprouts, onion, black pudding and apple in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle over two tbsp of oil and add the sage leaves. Roast in the hot oven for around 12–15 minutes, stirring midway through the cook time and spreading the mix out in an even layer to continue cooking. Remove from the oven when the black pudding is piping hot and the apples, sprouts and onions have all softened, with some taking on a bit of colour.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the honey, vinegar and mustard together, then whisk in the remaining two tbsp oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. In a serving bowl or large plate, add the sprout mixture, including the sage leaves, and dress all over with the honey mustard dressing, before scattering with the chopped hazelnuts and bread. Serve warm.