Culinaria: JP McMahon’s sprout appeal

Why the widespread dislike of Brussel sprouts? Is it the way we cook them? Do we hate them so much that they are consigned to appear once a year, at Christmas, only to disappear again?

In my humble opinion, we overcook and under-season our sprouts. This contributes to all the ill-seen and ill-said things that impress themselves upon us during that great day of feasting.

Sprouts are a member of the cabbage family, from which we get much more than just that large green leaved substance that we also continually overcook.

Though it may sound unlikely, sprouts are beautiful eaten raw. Just peel off the outer tough leaves and then take the choicest inner leaves for a nice winter salad. On the nutrition side of things, raw sprouts have loads of vitamins and substances that keep our gut healthy.

Over-cooked sprouts are a culinary nightmare. I cannot think of a more appalling sight than dismally grey mini-cabbages suffering on some side dish on the kitchen table. As well as becoming grey, soft and hideous to look at, over-cooked sprouts develop a strong odour. The odour is associated with the organic compound glucosinolate sinigrin, which contains sulphur: hence the rotten smell.

If you do cook them, please cook them properly. This means placing them briefly in a pot of boiling water with a good amount of butter to give them the required richness they deserve. (If you want, you can cut your sprouts in half before cooking them.) Check for tenderness, then remove them from the water. At this stage a good dash of coarse sea salt is all you need to complete the job.

If you want to spice them up, I like to add a good dash of Irish balsamic vinegar, extra virgin rapeseed oil and loads of grated cheese (I’m thinking an artisan cheddar, like Hegarty’s or the Little Milk Co). Place under the grill until the cheese melts and serve immediately.