Brussels Agrodolce with Crispy Shallots

Brussels sprouts have a bad reputation; people either hate or love them - I love them. I understand why people can hate them though, boiled sprouts taste like mouthfuls of fart and the texture becomes horribly mushy.

I’ve created what I genuinely think may be one of the most delicious ways of eating cooked sprouts- no mush or farts in this recipe. The agrodolce is made up of burnt honey- sounds a lot better than you may think; the honey goes dark amber, it develops a sweet savoury taste, the apple cider vinegar cutting through the sweetness. Such complex flavours with so little ingredients.

prep/cooking time: 30-35 minutes

serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1/4 cup (66ml) olive oil

1 big shallot, sliced thin (as evenly as possible)

330g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 tbsp oil

4 tbsp clear honey

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C.

2. In small pot add the 1/4 cup of oil and shallots - make sure the shallots are in one even layer in oil. Turn the heat up to medium low and let simmer until the shallots turn golden, 15-20 minutes- turn the heat down if the shallots are getting too brown quickly. You can also stir the shallots around to evenly colour them. Remove the shallots from the heat, drain on a paper towel lined plate. Save the infused oil to add into other dishes.

3. Place the halved brussels sprouts onto a baking sheet along with 1 tbsp of oil. Toss together until all the sprouts are evenly coated, season with salt. Bake for 15-20 mins, until the sprouts go crispy on the outside and turn golden brown on both sides.

4. In another small pot on medium heat, add the honey and let it simmer until it turns dark amber, stirring every so often. When it reaches that colour, take it off the heat and add the chilli flakes and apple cider vinegar, stirring until the bubbles subside and everything is thoroughly mixed in.

5. When the sprouts have finished roasting, plate them still hot and drizzle over the warm agrodolce mixture all over them - if the honey mixture has solidified or gone cold, put it back on the heat stirring until it melts to a drizzling consistency. Sprinkle the crispy shallots all over and eat hot!