The dreaded sprout!

I absolutely LOVE brussel sprouts!  This time of the year they are at their absolute best; an amazingly versatile vegetable not just for being boiled to death with a turkey dinner.

This is one of our favourite ways to have them.

We picked up a lovely lamb shoulder yesterday from our favourite local butchers (Haywards in York Parade) and Woo decided to take over cooking duties this afternoon.  We had a fruitful morning of chores around the house before calling in on the Head Honcho (Woo's dad) then into town to pick up a few bits of shopping. With the slow roasted lamb we decided on roast potatoes, swede and carrot mash, roasted red peppers with garlic and sprouts with pancetta and sesame seeds.  Oh, and gravy courtesy of The Queen of the Gravy herself!

For the sprouts:

In a large pan fry off a good handful of pancetta pieces in a little butter.  After a few minutes add your sprouts.  We halve the large ones to ensure an even cooking time.  There's no need to pre-cook them; especially if you like a little crunch as we do. Leave them sautéing for a few minutes until the sprouts start to go golden brown at the edges and the pancetta becomes lovely and crispy.  Add a good sprinkling of sesame seeds, stir in and cook for a further minute or so.  Season to taste but it won't need too much salt due to the pancetta.

Serve!

This sprout dish goes well with any roast meat and is a great one try try out on the sprout dodgers amongst your family and friends.