Brussels Sprouts, Chestnuts and Grapes | Ottolenghi

The reason for this dish is simple. No holiday meals will be complete without a brussels sprouts side. The combination of brussels sprouts, chestnuts and grapes is particularly masterful and colorful. Ottolenghi has singlehandedly shown me more uses of the red grapes, savory or sweet, than any other cookbook writers. In addition, this dish is made special by the complex sweetness and depth of Shaoxing wine, another Ottolenghi’s secret flavorful ingredient.

The Shaoxing wine is a Chinese wine fermented from rice that you can now find in large supermarkets or most Asian food stores. (Use dry pale sherry if Shaoxing is not available.) Chestnuts are much easier to find around the holiday seasons. Besides the seasonal ingredients, this dish is especially suited for the holiday table — because you can make it ahead, in parts. In fact, making it a day ahead helps with flavor development. A win-win!

If you have a clay or ceramic pot/pan, the work flow gets even better. You can prep, cook and serve the dish in the same pot/pan. One less pot/pan to clean. That adds to the joy of the dish, less work and more time to spend with friends and family. For this reason alone, I’ll do this brussels sprouts side over and over again.

First, steam and roast small shallots and chestnuts in a covered pot/pan with the sauce ingredients: primarily, Shaoxing wine, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, and oil in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes. Add the red grapes during the last 10 minutes.

Separately, roast the Brussels sprouts at 465°F for about 16 minutes. Finally combine the sprouts with the shallots and chestnuts in the pot/pan. Let the flavor meld by resting the dish for an hour. Get ahead by cooking the shallots, garlic, chestnuts and grapes a day ahead, and leave them to sit in the liquid in the fridge overnight, but don’t roast the sprouts until the day.

Print Recipe

Brussels Sprouts, Chestnuts and Grapes

Ingredients

• 12 small shallots, peeled and left whole
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the flat of a knife
• 250g ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 130ml olive oil
• 80ml Shaoxing rice wine (or pale dry sherry)
• 60ml soy sauce
• 180g seedless red grapes
• 800g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthways
• Salt
• 2 green chillies, cut into thin rounds
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp parsley leaves

Instructions

1

STEAM/ROAST SHALLOTS AND CHESTNUTS: Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the first five ingredients (shallots, garlic, chestnuts, bay leaves, maple syrup) in a large 34cm x 26cm, high-sided roasting pan, then add 100ml oil, 75ml rice wine and two tablespoons of soy sauce. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 35 minutes, until the shallots are soft but still hold their shape. Stir in the grapes, cover again with foil, cook for 10 minutes more, then remove from the oven, discard the foil and set aside. (This step can be done ahead of time.)

2

ROAST THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Turn up the oven to 240C (220C fan)/465F/gas 9. Toss the sprouts in two tablespoons of oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then spread them out on two oven trays lined with baking paper. Roast for 16 minutes, switching the position of the trays halfway through, until browned, then tip the sprouts into the shallot pan, gently mix everything together and leave, uncovered, at room temperature for an hour, ideally, and at least 30 minutes, to give the flavours time to develop.

3

PICKLE THE CHILLIES: In a small bowl mix the chillies, rice vinegar, sugar and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes.

4

SERVE: Once the sprouts have sat for a while, stir in the remaining teaspoon of rice wine and two tablespoons of soy sauce, and the parsley, and transfer to a large, shallow bowl. Top with the pickled chillies and their pickling liquid, and serve.

Notes

Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jan/18/yotam-ottolenghi-slow-cooking-recipes-mushrooms-parsnips-and-brussels-sprouts