Gratin of Sprouts

My sprout-hating husband balked at the idea of a sprout gratin but I have made this dish for two years in a row now and my father-in-law is evangelical about them. High praise indeed! 

It might sound yucky but these have been a massive success in our house and there is never any left in the dish by the end of the meal.  The recipe is by Sophie Grigson and honestly, I think everyone should try it. I can't imagine Christmas without it. Clearly I'd make it more often but I'm only allowed to bring sprouts into the house once a year...

The recipe here serves 8 but I usually halve it as it only needs to feed 3 adults and 2 children.

Gratin of Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients 

900g Brussels sprouts, trimmed

20g butter

4tsp sunflower oil

150g bacon lardons (or cubed pancetta)

20g flaked almonds 

400ml double cream

2.5 tsp lemon juice

5.5 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.  Place the trimmed sprouts into a saucepan of simmering water and cook for around 4-5minutes until the sprouts are almost cooked. Drain thoroughly and leave to cool slightly before cutting the sprouts in half.

Place the butter and oil into a large frying pan. Over a medium heat, saute the bacon lardons and almonds for around 4 minutes until they are lightly browned.  Add the halved sprouts and saute for a further 3 minutes, stirring all the time,

Add the cream and bring to the boil. Keep on the boil for around 3 minutes, until the cream has reduced to a rich sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and transfer to an ovenproof dish.  Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together and sprinkle evenly over the top of the sprout mixture.

Place in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you can see the cream boiling and bubbling. Remove from the oven and serve from the grain dish - taking care not to burn your fingers, that dish will be hot!

There, a sprout dish I think most people will love!

love & kisses

Mrs M x