3 sprouts recipes that will help you make the most of your leftovers this Christmas

Parsnip, Brussels and Nutmeg Rigatoni Gratin

Credit: Alice Hart

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3 sprouts recipes that will help you make the most of your leftovers this Christmas

By Alice Porter

3 years ago

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3 min read

Do you always have a big bowl of sprouts leftover after Christmas dinner? Here are three ways to turn them into delicious Boxing Day dinners.

Love them or hate them, you’re probably going to find a serving of brussels sprouts on your dinner table at some point over the next few weeks. The humble cruciferous vegetable has had a bit of a bad rap over the years for being bland, boring and even soggy, but you might be surprised by how delicious sprouts can be when cooked properly and served up with the right ingredients.

Plus, they are one of the most festive foods out there, so a sprout-inspired dish is perfect for any Christmas dinner parties you have planned. And, of course, there are probably going to be some left over after Christmas, as the family members who are naive to the deliciousness of sprouts willfully neglect them on the big day.

We’ve collected three recipes that will convince self-confessed sprout haters to give them another chance…

Creamy orzo with brussels sprouts and sausages

Creamy orzo with brussels sprouts and sausages

Author Orlando Murrin says: “If you’re not already a fan of orzo, which is small, barley-shaped pasta, I warmly recommend it. Like the author, it has a natural affinity with cream and butter. This dish is an adaptation to one of my all-time favourite Nigel Slater recipes, which is a huge household favourite, specially in autumn and winter. Nigel recommends Italian-style sausages, seasoned with garlic and fennel seeds, which I use whenever I can get hold of them.”

Ingredients

  • 200g Brussels sprouts (about 12)
  • 100g orzo
  • A knob of butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 sausages (about 200g), sausagemeat removed from the skins
  • 1⁄2–1 tsp dried mixed herbs or dried thyme
  • 4 tbsp dry Marsala, or dry or medium sherry, plus extra if you wish
  • 200g crème fraîche
  • 60g freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve

Method

Trim the Brussels sprouts and halve any that are large. Cook in a generous amount of boiling salted water till tender – about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander placed over a bowl, reserving the cooking water.

Return the reserved water to the pan, bring to the boil and cook the orzo in it for the time recommended on the pack – orzo varies, from 6–10 minutes – drain and return to the pan. Stir in the butter to stop the orzo ‘grains’ sticking together.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sausagemeat and herbs till brown – 5–8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula into pieces no larger than bite-size and stirring frequently. Add the Marsala and stir well to deglaze the pan, then add the cooked sprouts and orzo, plus the crème fraîche and Parmesan, and heat through. Check the seasoning, add a splash more Marsala if you’re in the mood, and serve with extra grated Parmesan.

From Two’s Company Simple by Orlando Murrin (Ryland Peters & Small, £20).


Crispy sprouty leeky lentils

Crispy sprouty leeky lentils

Author Alice Zaslavsky says: “The inspiration for these sprouts came in an unlikely fashion. I was doing a radio segment with ABC Perth, waxing lyrical about brussels sprouts, and the presenter kept getting texts about a particular restaurant in Albany, Western Australia, that was turning sprout-deniers into sprout-evangelists. Lo and behold, the chef slid into my Direct Messages and shared the recipe for their special sauce with me, which I’ve bulked out here into a slapdash meal with the addition of a handy tin of lentils. Looking at the combo of classic South-East Asian flavours and decidedly Italian ones, you would assume this must taste absolutely bizzarro-world, but it’s exactly what encapsulates modern Australian dining — a melting pot of cuisines, ideas and ingredients that offer untold possibilities.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (1 litre) grapeseed or rice bran oil, for deep-frying
  • 400g (14 oz) brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered if larger, or halved if small
  • 400g (14 oz) tinned lentils, drained and rinsed
  • 1 leek, pale part only, cut into very fine discs (about 2 mm)
  • Coriander (cilantro) and/or Vietnamese mint sprigs (optional), to serve
  • 1/4 cup (25g) finely grated parmesan zest of 1 lime
  • Special sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Method

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan to 190°C/375°F. Thoroughly dry the brussels sprouts, ready for deep-frying.

Meanwhile, combine the special sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes, until thickened and syrupy. Stir half through the lentils and set the rest aside for serving.

Once the oil is hot, add one-quarter of the brussels sprouts and deep-fry for 4–5 minutes, until light brown and crispy, then drain on paper towel. Deep-fry the remaining three batches of brussels sprouts, then deep-fry the leek until golden, which will take a similar time, surprisingly. Drain on paper towel.

Toss the sprouts and leek through the saucy lentils with half the herbs.

Drizzle the remaining special sauce on top, finishing with a puff of parmesan. Sprinkle the lime zest and remaining herbs on top and serve.

From The Joy of Better Cooking: Life-changing skills & thrills for enthusiastic eaters by Alice Zaslavsky (Murdoch Books, £25).


Parsnip, Brussels and Nutmeg Rigatoni Gratin

Parsnip, brussels sprout and nutmeg rigatoni gratin

Author Alice Hart says: “A more indulgent recipe than I habitually write; I don’t typically use a lot of rich cream or dairy-based sauces, preferring the clout of chilli, citrus, flavourful oils and dressings, fresh herbs, toasted nuts and the like to the sometimes cloying richness of a cheese sauce. But this is a nod to Christmas and with Christmas come the rich exceptions.”

Serves 6 (as a side)

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb 2oz) slender parsnips
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 200g (7oz) dried rigatoni, penne or similar short pasta tubes
  • 200g (7oz) raw Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
  • 450ml (153/4fl oz) whole milk
  • 2 fat garlic cloves, bruised
  • 3 bay leaves, bruised
  • 7 thyme sprigs
  • 1½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 30g (1oz) butter
  • 30g (1oz) spelt flour or plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 200ml (7fl oz) crème fraîche
  • 250g (9oz) Gruyère coarsely grated
  • 3 tbsp finely grated, vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
  • 90g (3oz) walnuts, roughly crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 4).

Top, tail and peel the parsnips and reserve the peelings and trimmings. Cut the parsnips into thumb-sized pieces or slices and toss with the oil. Spread out in a roasting pan in a single layer, season with salt and pepper and roast for 35–40 minutes, shimmying halfway through until just tender and turning golden. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of plenty of boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then add the sliced Brussels sprouts and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, refreshing very briefly under cool water. Put the milk in the same (empty) pasta pan with the bruised garlic and bay, 4 of the thyme sprigs and 1 teaspoon of the nutmeg. Add the parsnip peelings and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover and leave to sit for 15 minutes. Strain the flavoured milk into a jug. 

Rinse out the pan and return it to a lowish heat with the butter and flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook this out for 4–5 minutes, really toasting the flour and letting it fizz. Now scrape the roux to one side of the pan and slosh about 150ml (5fl oz) of the infused milk into the empty part of the pan, allowing it to heat through slightly before briskly whipping it into the roux with a balloon whisk. Letting the milk heat through first will help prevent lumps forming. Keep going in this way, adding the milk, but giving it a moment to warm through before whisking in, until it has all been incorporated. Now whisk in the crème fraîche and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Simmer this rich sauce, stirring, for 5 minutes to cook out every remnant of flour taste, then remove from the heat and add the cheeses with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir well and season to taste.

Add the pasta, sprouts and roast parsnips to the sauce, folding everything together. The melted Gruyère cheese will have made its elasticated presence known by this point. Spoon into a 20 x 30cm (8 x 12in) baking dish and top with the leaves from the remaining 3 thyme sprigs and the crushed walnuts. 

Bake the gratin in the oven for about 25 minutes until the nuts are golden and the edges bubbling.

From The Magnificent Book of Vegetables by Alice Hart (£24.70, Welbeck).


Photography: Clare Winfield, Ben Dearnley, Alice Hart

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