Ode to a Brussel Sprout - How to make this humble vegetable taste delicious this Christmas

Agreed, they have traditionally been boiled to death, but the destiny of the humble Brussels sprout no longer needs to involve being hidden beneath a festive paper napkin, before being shoved surreptitiously into the bin.

If you too believe in better for Brussels, you’ll likely understand where we’re coming from with this lot…

Introduce Brussels to bacon and you’ll never go back. Chuck them in a hot pan with slivers of super crisped-up bacon, and you won’t even think about needing roast turkey on your plate.

Butter – and lots of it – is essential. This is where they went wrong in the Eighties. Boiling them in loads of water, rather than dousing Brussels in butter and whacking on the hob to fry, was always going to be an error. EVERYTHING is made more delicious with butter.

They go with practically everything. With sausages and roast chicken, alongside Thai fish cakes and shredded into a curry – there is no situation sprouts cannot improve.

The whole brassica family is massively underrated, as a general rule. Crunchy stir-fried broccoli, cabbage dredged through mashed potato, whole roasted cauliflower – for too long we have just steamed these veggies, expecting them to disappoint. It’s our own fault for decades of not realising their incredible potential.

There is absolutely no reason to boil them at all – a mushy Brussels sprout is an avoidable tragedy. Anyone who even considers doing this should be added straight to the ‘naughty’ list.

Picking them off an actual branch is unbelievably satisfying. They come from tree-like plants that look a little like wizard staffs. Kids will love snapping the Brussels off one by one.

Growing them yourself is even better. They’re not too tricky to grow (they’re fans of the British climate), and nothing beats producing your own and then loudly and smugly telling everyone across the dinner table that you did so.

You don’t have to keep them whole so they roll around your plate. Or do that funny cross on the bottom no one seems to know the point of. Just cut them in half, shred them, or peel their layers off and stir-fry – you have options people, don’t waste them.