Recipe: Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad by Fergus Jackson

Brussel sprouts have a bad rep, but when cooked well and paired with the right flavours, they are delicious. Co-Owner and Founder of Brick House, Fergus Jackson, shares his tasty brussel sprouts caesar salad recipe 

By Fergus Jackson

Brussel Sprouts Caesar Salad

If you’re a sprout hater, this salad might just be the recipe to cure you. This dish celebrates the Marmite of the Christmas veg world by using it three ways, blanched, roasted and raw. Combined with the classic caesar flavours of anchovy and parmesan and some chunky croutons, this is a satisfying salad that will make you look at the humble sprout in a whole new way.

Ingredients

650g Brussels sprouts
2-3 inch-thick slices of sourdough
Parmesan cheese, shaved

For the dressing:

2 anchovy fillets
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
1 clove garlic
40ml Olive oil
60ml Ground-nut oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Trim the bases of the sprouts, remove the easy-to-peel outer leaves and set to one side. Take half of the spouts and cut into halves, toss with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then roast in a hot oven (220c) until lightly charred, around 10-15 minutes. Shred the remaining sprouts with a mandolin or as finely as possible with a kitchen knife and place in a large bowl.

Blanch the outer sprout leaves in salted boiling water for 60 seconds, and then shock in a bowl of iced water. Remove from the iced water and drain and pat dry with some kitchen towel.

Remove the crusts from the slices of sourdough, cut into cubes, toss with some olive oil, season with some salt and pepper and then roast at 200c for 10 minutes until golden brown.

To make the dressing, put the anchovy fillets in a small bowl along with the mustard and egg yolk. Mash with a whisk or fork to break up the anchovy as much as possible, and combine everything together. Slowly add the oil as with making a mayonnaise until it is all used up. Grate in the garlic, add a good pinch of salt and few grinds of fresh black pepper, and then mix the lemon juice into the dressing.

To assemble the salad, but the blanched, roasted and shredded sprouts into a large bowl along with the croutons. Toss together with your hands, to evenly distribute of all the elements. Then add the dressing and stir though until everything is nicely coated. Finish by shaving over slithers of parmesan using a peeler or sharp knife.

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