Sprout and anchovy gratin with porcini crumb
- Published: 13 Nov 23
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
Sprouts can soak up flavour yet stand up to bold, fierce cooking, thanks to their density. This side dish, with the sprouts baked in anchovy-infused cream, will be the dark horse of your Christmas dinner – and it can be made ahead. If you need a veggie option, how about garlic butter sprouts?
Make this gratin as part of our zero-waste Christmas dinner. The trimmings from the veg help make a flavourful gravy.
- Serves 6 with leftovers
- Hands-on time 45 min, plus cooling. Oven time 20 min
Ingredients
- 500g brussels sprouts
- 20g goose fat (from preparing the goose gravy, if making our zero-waste Christmas dinner)
- 50g tin anchovy fillets in olive oil
- 50g shallots, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 50g pickled walnuts, roughly chopped, plus 2 tbsp of their vinegar
- 300ml white wine
- 250ml double cream
- 30g dried porcini mushrooms
- 150g white bread, whizzed into breadcrumbs
- 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked (reserve the stalks for the gravy, if making our zero-waste Christmas dinner)
Method
- Trim the sprouts, halve and set aside, reserving the trimmings for the gravy, if making.
- Put the goose fat in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the anchovies and half their oil (reserve the rest) and stir until dissolved. Stir in the shallots, cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for another minute.
- Add the sprouts to the pan and cook for 4 minutes until they’ve turned bright green. Add the pickled walnuts and their vinegar, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cook for another minute, then scrape into an ovenproof dish.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the wine. Bubble for about 8 minutes until reduced by half, then stir in the cream. Bring to the boil, then pour the cream mixture over the sprouts. Stir together and leave to cool. If making ahead, the dish can then be covered and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- For the porcini crumb, put the mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with 200ml just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes, then strain the liquid into a container and reserve for the gravy, if making. Finely chop the mushrooms.
- Put the remaining anchovy oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and breadcrumbs, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then cook for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden. Add the thyme leaves. If making ahead, set aside to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store at a cool room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook the gratin, heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. If prepared ahead, take the sprout mixture out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to bring it up to temperature. Spread the crumbs over the sprouts, then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, crisp and bubbling.
- Recipe from November 2023 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 390kcals
- Fat
- 27g (15g saturated)
- Protein
- 8.5g
- Carbohydrates
- 15g (6.7g sugars)
- Fibre
- 5.1g
- Salt
- 1.7g
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