Lemongrass Charred Brussels Sprouts

It was my brother-in-law’s turn to host Christmas in the UK one year and I was in charge of the vegetables. With all the burners and the oven at full capacity, I marched outside in a beanie, thick Christmas jumper, and flip flops (I am half Australian, after all) and began barbecuing the greens.

For southern-hemisphere home cooks, using the barbecue at Christmas would be a logical move in the summertime. But to my British in-laws, who love a traditional wintry Christmas spread of roast turkey and boiled vegetables, this barbecue move left them speechless, in awe, with lots of side looks, curious grins and raised eyebrows, until of course they tasted them and the charred veggies completely blew their mind.

You won’t need a barbecue for this version (although do feel free to get your charcoal on), as the sprouts will char very nicely in a hot frying pan. Tossed with the lemongrass dressing, the sweet-and-sour flavors swim into the cut edges of the smoky brussels sprouts. They take on a snacking quality, with the moreish flavor of a really delicious bag of potato chips you can’t stop eating. I go so far as to pluck them straight off the serving plate with my fingers and into my mouth, losing all manners and cutlery sensibilities. They make a great side, but I’d also happily eat these for dinner with a simple side of rice.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘A Splash of Soy’ by Lara Lee. Buy the full book on Amazon.