Creamed Sprouts

(Copied from old blog...originally posted 30th December 2007)

'Tis the season and all that jazz. Well it was anyhow, and I have let it slip by without so much as a mince pie to show for it. In my defense we have all been beaten down by colds and sickness bugs over the past few weeks and cooking, well food in general, has been pretty low down the agenda. All my best laid plans of making mincemeat, mince pies, an alternative Christmas cake.....all went down the drain. Still, it's almost a new year and I have literally dozens of new recipes waiting to be tested and I am feeling all adventurous.

About the only thing I did do differently this year was sprouts. Christmas just isn't Christmas without them, you've got to love a sprout. Unless you are Mr M that is, who pales at the mere sight of one of the cute lovely little things. So anyway, this year I made creamed sprouts and they were delicious, so very simple but really tasty and I can't ever imagine eating them plain again. I of course cheated and used chestnuts in a jar as I couldn't be faffed with roasting and peeling them but if you are that way inclined who am I to stop you.

Creamed Sprouts

Ingredients

750g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped into small chunks
200g chestnuts, roughly chopped
6 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche

Method

Cook the sprouts in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes until tender, then drain and cool in iced water or run under the cold tap. Drain them well.

Fry the chopped bacon gently in a large frying pan for 4 minutes until starting to crisp, then add the chestnut pieces and cook until toasted.

Add the sprouts and creme fraiche, season and turn the heat up to boil the cream until it coats the sprouts.

Tip into a serving dish and serve straightaway.

This recipe should serve 6.