Sprouts with Pancetta
It’s a long-standing joke that grandma always gets her sprouts on a good few days before Christmas dinner. I think that’s how most of us remember sprouts growing up – soggy, mushy, little green stink bombs that we’d try to avoid eating at all costs.
Well, for me, the humble sprout has gone a full 180° and now sits near the top of the charts in favourite veg. We all know that bacon makes pretty much everything taste better and this dish is no exception, but the real heroes are the lovely little charred, al dente sprouts that really come into their own.
Ingredients
500g brussels sprouts, outer leaves trimmed and discarded
75g pancetta
5 sun-dried tomatoes (about half a small jar), roughly chopped
Rapeseed oil
Method
1. Halve the sprouts.
2. Pre-heat a cast iron dish in the grill and then add a glug of rapeseed oil.
3. Add the pancetta and cook for a few minutes until starting to brown and the fat rendered out.
4. Add the sprouts and cook for 6-7 mins, moving often, until the outside develops a little char and the inside is just cooked when prodded with a knife.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute.
6. Transfer to a serving platter.
7. You can top the sprouts with toasted seeds, almond flakes or toasted chestnuts for a bit of extra flourish and texture.
More Recipes Ideas from Jon Finch
Method
1. Halve the sprouts.
2. Pre-heat a cast iron dish in the grill and then add a glug of rapeseed oil.
3. Add the pancetta and cook for a few minutes until starting to brown and the fat rendered out.
4. Add the sprouts and cook for 6-7 mins, moving often, until the outside develops a little char and the inside is just cooked when prodded with a knife.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute.
6. Transfer to a serving platter.
7. You can top the sprouts with toasted seeds, almond flakes or toasted chestnuts for a bit of extra flourish and texture.
