May

Brussel sprouts

Brussel sprouts are not everyone’s cup of tea, usually due to the way they were served up in childhood. However there is a steady band of loyal followers who eagerly await the season to begin in late autumn. They will remain in good supply all through winter and into early spring.

Buying

Brussels sprouts should be small, compact and have a nice green colour with no brown leaves. Choose sprouts uniform in size, as this will allow even cooking. Watch out for unscrupulous green grocers who peel away the discoloured leaves, leaving you with a Brussels sprout that is a shadow of its former self.

Storing

Brussels sprouts will keep for 3–4 days in the crisper section of the refrigerator.

Preparing

To prepare them trim the Brussels sprouts of darker green outside leaves and cut in half. Or to cook whole cut a cross into the bottoms to speed up the cooking process a little.

Serving

Brussels sprouts need to be cooked for 6–8 minutes in plenty of boiling water. Cook them uncovered to prevent the chlorophyll reacting with the acids in the water and causing an unpleasant flavour to come into the Brussels sprouts. They are often boiled in this way to make them tender then added to a hot pan to be tossed with ingredients like bacon, onion, nuts and herbs for extra flavour.

Brussels sprouts can also be steamed with slices of fresh ginger until tender; usually this takes 8-10 minutes. They can then be drizzled with a little soy sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Also in season...

• Parsnips
• Chestnuts
• Quince
• Pears

Keep an eye out for...

Herbs:, coriander, marjoram, sage, thyme

Seafood: Blue swimmer crab, bream, coral trout, eel, flathead, garfish, marron, mud crab, mussels, perch, prawns, school whiting, sea mullet, tuna

Cheese: Wahsed rind cheeses, mature goat’s cheese, aged cheddars

Content provided by Allan Campion and Michele Curtis www.campionandcurtis.com.