Name: Crispy fried Brussels sprouts with lentils and mint
Ingredients: 50 g Puy or similar green lentils; Oil, for deep frying – if you’re not air-frying; 700 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved; Leaves from a small bunch of mint, chopped; 70 ml Extra virgin olive oil (approx 4 tbsp); 30 ml vincotto, (or pomegranate mollases); ¾ tbsp Dijon mustard

AuthorJessCategoryDinner, Main Ingredient, Vegetable, Winter

My daughter Nell virtually forced this on me when we had lunch at Manteca in Shoreditch (where she works). Vincotta is heavily reduced, pressed, unsieved grape must and is a speciality of Puglia. Rick Stein gave it a shout-out as his secret special ingredient. You don’t see it in South Devon very often but I’d have thought pomegranate molasses would give an equally interesting result. Sprouts have never been my thing – I normally suffer, rather than relish them at Xmas - but I couldn’t stop eating these. They’d work as a small plate or side – but probably not with the trad Christmas dinner - and, if, like me, you’re not big on deep fat frying, work a treat in the Air Fryer.

Yields1 Serving

50 g Puy or similar green lentils

Oil, for deep frying – if you’re not air-frying

700 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Leaves from a small bunch of mint, chopped

For the vincotto dressing

70 ml Extra virgin olive oil (approx 4 tbsp)

30 ml vincotto, (or pomegranate mollases)

¾ tbsp Dijon mustard

Prep time 25 mins / Cook time 15 mins / serves 4

Cook the lentils in plenty of water to al-dente – hence best not to use tinned. Drain and set aside.

For vincotto dressing, whisk ingredients in a bowl to combine, season to taste, set aside.

Toss the sprouts in a couple of tbsps of olive oil and air-fry for ten minutes – agitate every three minutes or so. Or preheat oil in a large deep-sided saucepan or deep-fryer to 180 and fry the sprouts until crisp and dark golden (4-5 minutes), drain on absorbent paper and transfer to a large bowl.

Mix in the lentils, dressing and mint. Serve immediately.

Ingredients