Fondant sprouts with bacon and chestnuts

Before you start

Whese these are the best sprouts
Win-win cooking: Roast or fried sprouts are delicious but a little ugly and rich; boiled sprouts are fresh and bright but taste a little puritan. By cooking them a little like potato fondants (frying them until crisp, then braising in liquid to cook them through), you get the best of both worlds – a crispy caramelised sprout on the cut side with a soft, fresh, green round on top.

Keep it classic: We’ve seen sprouts flavoured a million different ways, but there’s a reason chestnuts and bacon are the most popular additions – you just can’t beat that mixture of creamy nuttiness and salty pork. Frying both off hard and fast before the sprouts hit the pan creates lots of flavoured fat to crisp the sprouts up in and keeping the chestnuts in bigger halves rather than chopping them down provides textural contrast.

Taking stock: Replacing the usual water with chicken or vegetable stock infuses each sprout with extra flavour and prevents that ‘boiled cabbage’ taste that puts some people off. It also helps season them throughout and once combined with the butter creates a delicious glaze for a glossy finish.

Make it veggie: Leave out the bacon and add an extra knob of butter and a pinch of salt before you fry the sprouts.