With the Christmas season upon us, the vegetables of the festive season are upon us. The seemingly one dimensional red cabbage, parsnips and of course that dreaded sprout that has lent itself such a bad reputation. I never grew up with sprouts, and when I moved here, I was swayed by the popular dislike for their foul smell when cooking, and their singular use as a side dish of boiled blandness during Christmas. But I was determined not to let this perfectly formed, green goodness be a waste. So I thought of other ways to make it a part of my recipe repertoire. I soon realized that the best way to coo kit was for char it – its sweet caramelized edges when sliced and griddled have a unique Umami quality that I have yet to find matched with any other vegetable, save aubergines. There is sometihg rather satisfying about it with an ounce of guilt free deliciosuness that is rare at this time of year. I find that toss charred sprout slices in some garlic butter, a ready made curry sauce or even just sprinkled with salt and paprika and had with a cup of tea or a drink, can go down rather well. Best yet of course are sprout pakoras eaten with tamarind or coriander chutney. But saffron and pistachios certainly turn this modest vegetable into a rather glorious feast for a Persian emperor. Subtle yet, rather luscious at the same time.
Saffron and pistachio butter sprouts
200g of Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp of salted butter, softened
1 handful of pistachio
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 pinch of saffron
1 tbsp of hot water
Salt
Place the saffron threads into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of hot water. Allow to stand and infuse while you grind the pistachios
Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until finely ground
Place the Brussels sprouts in a steamer and cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on their size, until cooked through and tender
Meanwhile, add the butter, ground pistachios and a pinch of salt to the bowl with the saffron water and mix until combined
Place a pan on a moderate heat and add the cooked sprouts. Scrape in the pistachio butter mixture and toss together for a few minutes so that it melts and coats the sprouts
Finish with a sprinkling of chilli flakes and another pinch of salt to season, then serve while hot
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