Sprouts with Flaked Almonds, Bacon & Leeks
If I stood out on the street and asked 100 people if they liked sprouts or if they hated them, I’m not sure what percentage I would have for each opinion. Sprouts must be one of the most dividing of vegetables, ever.
Never mind Brexit, in or out!?
Sprouts are the vegetable that could sway any sitting on the fence voter to choose their political party.
With bad cooking, they may be the only things that can be overcooked on the outside, and as hard as a marble on the inside.
There’s a joke that surfaces around October time which alludes to the fact that if you are going to have sprouts for Christmas, October is the time to put them on to boil. This is how I remember sprouts from my childhood.
Soft enough that if you touch them with a fork they would immediately separate into two distinct and separate components. One part rancid water and one part slightly greying leaves with no taste but a smell that lingers in the kitchen until Easter.
Only one of the few things my Mum was not the most accomplished at cooking. Sorry Mum!
Once I realised that this wasn’t the way to cook these green jewels of nature, it opened up a whole other world to me. Forget grey slimy slightly bitter balls, bring on the fresh, green and sweet taste of the well cooked brussel sprout.
Enjoy Your Sweet Life
Sprouts, The Good Way
No Longer soggy sprouts
What You Need
1 pack of sprouts – Cut into slices – See Tip Box
25gms Sliced almonds –See Tip Box
1 pack of bacon lardons – See Tip Box
1 large red pepper – medium chopped
1 large leek – medium hopped
Salt & Pepper
½ - 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper – optional – To taste - See Tip Box
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
The beautiful thing that is the sprout.
How It’s Done
Cut your sprouts into slices – Take a look at the photos.
Chop the pepper and the onion
To a large frying pan add the vegetable oil. Heat the oil up and once hot , add the bacon lardons. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook the bacon until the fat has rendered out and turns brown and crispy. One cooked, set aside in kitchen paper to drain
Add the pepper,leek and sprouts to the fat already in the pan and cook on a medium heat until they are cooked but still with a bite . If you are lucky to have a few sprouts that get a little charred around the edges, then all the better. yumm
Add salt and pepper and the cayenne pepper (To suit your taste ) if you’re using it. Use as much or as little of the cayenne pepper as you want to - your taste.
Add the cooed bacon back to the pan and mix everything together,and once cooked transfer to your chosen serving dish.
Sprinkle over the almonds and serve hot or warm.
Tip Box
Sprouts – Cut the sprouts in to slice
Almonds – If you don’t like almonds, substitute them with hazelnuts, pine nuts or even peanuts .
Cayenne Pepper - Cayenne pepper is a little spicy, so if you are going to use it, add a little at first , you can always add more if you want more of a spicy hit.
Bacon Lardons – If you want to keep this vegetarian, leave these out.
All in the pan, ready to rock
