Flavour Nugget #56: Brussels sprout salad with dates and a hot bacon + sesame dressingMini! Cabbages! Forever!
Sprouts have been on the receiving end of a hugely successful user-generated PR campaign. Who could’ve predicted it? Tight, farty little cabbages with a bad image hangover from post-war, boil-it-into-submission cookery. That was, until America picked them up. How did this happen? The internet points the finger firmly at David Chang, who, apparently, put them on the menu at Momofuku in 2012. That seems like a long-ish time ago in the context of small vegetables! Since then, they’ve got their feet under the table in every stateside food writer’s kitchen. In the UK I know at least seven people, maybe more (I got bored and stopped counting), who still won’t eat them. I’ve always loved them, so hah. And while I possibly don’t have quite the same influence as David Chang (lol), I did have a viral sprout recipe once: this Brussels sprout kimchi. It was peak kimchi-mania here at the time, and I’m sorry to have contributed to that trend but I did and I can admit it. It’s a recipe I still love and find useful for the festive season, when palates get fatigued. I know that mine will 100% need a kicking with a spoonful of funky veg at some point in the next few weeks. Sprouts are also excellent roasted or shredded (no one boils sprouts any more, come on). Roasting slaps because they go all crisp and salty and remind you of that other trend for kale crisps. Remember that? Crispy kale is genuinely delicious! Shredded, they are also good but different: crunchy but fresh and begging for a confident dressing. Just know that you absolutely must blanch them first; there are limits. Many recipes use them raw, but I find this too much; eating shouldn’t feel like work. Blanch the shredded sprouts for a few seconds, plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and maintain their colour, then drain in a clean tea towel or - even better - a salad spinner. I have a Lakeland one and it’s great. Centrifugal force FTW. At this time of year, warm salads have their moment. The dressing here is made with nuggets of crispy bacon, rendered in a pan until crisp and the fat emulsified with the maple syrup, cider vinegar and some mustard. It’s perfect when you’re craving something nourishing but still a little treaty. So this week’s theme is simply: sprouts. You can’t stop me! Look, if you like cabbage, there’s no reason not to enjoy its titchy cousins, and you can use them similarly, e.g. shredded into coleslaw, stirred through pasta. I’ve also used them in spanakopita and börek with feta. Dairy as a category is one of their great matches, of course, so heap them into gratins, pies and other baked creamy/cheesy dishes. I’ve even had them on toast, an undulating layer under a duvet of bechamel. Wouldn’t we all like to be under a duvet of bechamel? This feels modern, though. It feels fun and fresh, but crucially has that deep porky seasoning to ease us towards the seasonal onslaught. Let’s slide towards December gently, friends. Soon, we’ll be buried under cheese and turkey, fighting for our lives.
Brussels Sprout Salad with Hot Bacon and Sesame Dressing 500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded using a sharp knife, mandoline or food processor Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the shredded sprouts for a few seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Dry thoroughly with a clean tea towel or salad spinner. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan, stirring often. Set aside to cool. Add the bacon lardons to a cold frying pan. Set the heat to low-medium and cook slowly, allowing the fat to render out. Once there’s a good amount of fat in the pan, turn up the heat slightly and cook the lardons until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallot to the pan and cook gently until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and stir quickly, then immediately add the cider vinegar, mustard and maple syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for a minute or so, until thickened. Stir through the bacon and sesame seeds. Add a pinch of salt. Combine the sprouts, dates, apple and almonds and toss well. Add the dressing and toss again. Serve immediately.
Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Flavour Nugget #56: Brussels sprout salad with dates and a hot bacon + sesame dressing
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