Recipe: Caramelised Brussels Sprouts & Mala Cranberry Sauce
The vegetarian Christmas recipe testing continues. I wanted to tackle Brussels sprouts, that Marmite of Christmas vegetables. While the Brits have a reputation for murdering brassicas, this is where the Chinese know a trick or two (not to brag, or anything). I certainly learned to fall in love with cabbage the way my mum — and a lot of other Chinese home cooks — prepare it; finely chopped and then stir fried with lots of garlic and Knorr chicken powder.
In the same vein, here is a simple but undeniably delicious take on Brussels sprouts for your Christmas meal. Stir frying locks in all the nutrients and flavour, while any bitterness is equalised by the caramelisation, along with a hint of warming five spice and creamy chestnuts, and finished off with crunchy toppings. To accompany the sprouts I came up with a bit of a sauce hack: store bought cranberry sauce infused with Sichuan peppercorns and chilli flakes to create a ‘ma la’ mouth numbing heat.
Let me know if you try this recipe and share your results on Instagram with #CelestialPeach.
Ingredients
350g Brussels sprouts
75g peeled, ready-to-eat chestnuts
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp five spice
Handful of toasted almond flakes
Handful of crispy fried garlic (example)
For the sauce
150g cranberry sauce
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Instructions
Prepare the sauce ahead of time.
Lightly toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a pan, roughly crush and mix into the cranberry sauce along with the chilli flakes. Set aside in the fridge for at least a few hours.
Trim and cut each sprout in half.
In a large saucepan heat the oil and stir fry the sprouts on medium–high heat for around 10 minutes.
Roughly break up the chestnuts and add to the sprouts.
Add the soy sauce, sugar and five spice and reduce heat to medium. Don’t stir too vigorously; this allows the surfaces of the sprouts to brown and caramelise.
Top the Brussels sprouts with the almond flakes and fried garlic, and serve along with the cranberry sauce.
