Lemon Infused Buttered Brussels Sprouts W/ Crisp Peppered Bacon |
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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes |
Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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A wonderful way to cook and serve Brussels sprouts, the much-maligned vegetable of the Christmas table! Just steam or boil them until slightly tender and then toss them in lemon infused butter and top with peppered crispy bacon - that should cure most sprout haters !!! The lemon cuts through the butter and bacon to give a clean and fresh flavour, which is great if these are being served with lots of rich food. Get ahead by juicing and zesting your lemon; you can also pre-cook your sprouts and then plunge them into boiling water for a minute or two before serving. The lemon butter can be heated up gently in the microwave. Ingredients:
800 g brussels sprouts |
1 1/2 ounces butter or 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil |
200 g cubed smoked bacon or 200 g smoked lardons |
1 lemon, juice and zest of |
black pepper |
salt |
Directions:
1. Slice the bottoms off the sprouts and remove the outer layers.
2. Cook the sprouts in a pan of boiling, salted water for 6-8 minutes, until just tender. We like ours with a bit of a bite still - and not overcooked. You can steam the brussels sprouts if you wish.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter or oil in a pan and cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove from the pan and leave to cool slightly - add the lemon juice to the pan with the bacon butter/oil.
4. Add some freshly ground black pepper to the bacon and mix well - we like it quite peppery, please adjust the quantities to suit your personal taste.
5. When the sprouts are cooked, drain and place in a serving bowl.
6. Pour over the lemon butter/oil from the pan. Add the crisp bacon, lemon zest and a twist of sea salt. Toss well to infuse all the flavours and serve immediately.
7. NB: You can gently re-heat the lemon butter/oil before pouring over the sprouts, if it has cooled down too much.
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