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Fondant sprouts with bacon and chestnuts

Name: Fondant sprouts with bacon and chestnuts
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 180g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, halved; 150g smoked bacon lardons; 25g unsalted butter; 750g brussels sprouts, halved through the root, discoloured outer leaves removed; 300ml chicken or veg stock; Sea salt flakes

By: Tom Shingler
Head of food, delicious.

Published: 28 Oct 24
Updated: 30 Oct 24

Fondant sprouts with bacon and chestnuts

Crisp, buttery sprouts strewn with chestnuts and bacon will become your favourite festive side dish. The recipe uses a nifty two-step cooking process to get the very best out of every little green sphere.

Serve alongside our ultimate roast turkey.

Easy
November 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6-8
Hands-on time 30 min

Serve alongside our ultimate roast turkey.

Gluten-free recipes

Nutrition: Per serving (for 8)

Calories: 189kcals
Fat: 11g (3.8g saturated)
Protein: 7.9g
Carbohydrates: 12g (5.6g sugars)
Fibre: 5.4g
Salt: 1g

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Before you start

If you cook your sprouts like little potato fondants (frying them until crisp, then braising in a good flavoursome stock to cook them through), you get the best of both worlds – a sprout that’s crisp and caramelised on the cut side, then tender and green on top. There’s also a reason chestnuts and bacon are the most popular additions – you just can’t beat that mixture of creamy nuttiness and salty pork.

To make this dish veggie, leave out the bacon and add an extra knob of butter and a pinch of salt before you fry the sprouts.

Before you start

To make this dish veggie, leave out the bacon and add an extra knob of butter and a pinch of salt before you fry the sprouts.

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
180g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, halved
150g smoked bacon lardons
25g unsalted butter
750g brussels sprouts, halved through the root, discoloured outer leaves removed
300ml chicken or veg stock
Sea salt flakes

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Method

Pour the oil into a wide frying pan, then add the chestnuts and bacon. Set over a high heat and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Lift onto a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the butter to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, then add the sprouts, cut-sides down, and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes – you want the cut sides to turn a deep golden brown (a little charring is absolutely fine). They probably won’t all fit cut-side down, but aim to get as many as you can touching the pan.
Pour the stock into the frying pan and turn the heat back up to high. Leave to simmer until reduced to a glossy glaze (about 8 minutes), stirring gently every now and then.