Christmas sides: Thomasina Miers' recipe for pan-fried sprouts with soy and hazelnuts

Pan-fried sprouts with bay, soy, hazelnuts and sherry vinegar

This is such a delicious way to cook sprouts, and they go beautifully with turkey. If you can, get a good sherry vinegar – it will make all the difference.

Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

20g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
300g brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, halved
3 bay leaves
50g hazelnuts, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Parsley, to serve (optional)

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and, when hot, add the butter and oil. Once the butter starts sizzling, add the sprouts and bay, and shake the pan so the sprouts are coated in the fat. Turn the heat down a fraction and fry for four to five minutes, stirring a few times, until the sprouts begin to colour.

Related: Christmas side dish recipes created by chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Add the hazelnuts, and toast in the pan for two to three minutes, until everything looks golden, adding a splash of water if anything threatens to darken too much.

Add the soy, sherry vinegar and honey, and stir. Carry on cooking until the liquids have heated through and the sprouts are tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Serve in a warm bowl scattered with parsley, if you wish.

Fiona Beckett’s drinks match

If Tommi’s sprouts had no major competition from a main course, I’d probably serve them with a dry oloroso sherry. You can buy that by the half-bottle in most supermarkets: Morrisons has one in its Wm Morrison range (20%) for £6.25. A good stout or porter would also work. FB