Recipes › Brussels Sprouts › Brussels Sprout, Hazelnut and Pecorino Warm Salad
Brussels Sprout, Hazelnut and Pecorino Warm Salad
Halved Brussels sprouts roasted at high heat until their cut faces caramelise and their outer leaves turn papery and crisp, then tossed while still hot with toasted hazelnuts, shaved Pecorino and a sharp honey-lemon dressing. This sits in the gap between a side dish and a starter — substantial enough to open a dinner party, interesting enough to stand alone for lunch. The contrast of the caramelised sprouts against the cold, sharp dressing is what makes it.
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Ingredients
- 600 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through the root
- 70 g blanched hazelnutsor walnuts, roughly broken
- 50 g Pecorino Romano, shaved with a peeler or coarsely gratedor Parmesan
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp runny honeyor maple syrup to keep it vegan
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cloves garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped (optional)
Contains: nuts, mustard.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). This is high — you need the heat to caramelise the cut faces properly, not just steam them. While the oven heats, scatter the hazelnuts on a small baking tray and toast them in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes until golden. Watch them carefully, they go from toasted to burnt quickly. Tip onto a board, leave to cool for a minute, then roughly chop. Set aside.About 7 min
- Toss the halved Brussels sprouts in a large bowl with the regular olive oil, salt and black pepper until well coated. Spread them out on a large roasting tray, cut-side down, in a single layer — do not crowd the tray or they will steam rather than roast. Use two trays if needed. Roast for 16 to 18 minutes until the cut faces are deep golden and caramelised and the outer leaves are crispy at the tips.About 18 min
- While the sprouts roast, make the dressing. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon mustard and grated garlic in a small bowl or jar until emulsified. Season with a pinch of salt and taste — it should be bright and assertively acidic.About 3 min
- As soon as the sprouts come out of the oven, transfer them to a wide serving bowl or platter. Pour two-thirds of the dressing over them immediately and toss — the hot sprouts will absorb it. Scatter over the chopped hazelnuts, then the Pecorino shavings and parsley if using. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve straight away.About 3 min
Tips
- Cut-side down, every sprout. Lift one after 15 minutes and check — you want a proper deep golden-brown face, not just a light tan. That caramelisation is the whole point of this dish.
- Dress while hot. Cold roasted vegetables sitting in dressing become soggy. The heat helps the sprouts absorb the lemon and honey into their layers and the whole salad tastes more integrated.
- If your sprouts are very large (over 4cm), cut them into thirds rather than halves so everything roasts evenly.
Ring the changes
- Swap Pecorino for crumbled blue cheese — Gorgonzola dolce or even a good Dolcelatte works brilliantly against the sweet caramelised sprouts.
- Add 80g of vacuum-packed cooked Puy lentils tossed in with the sprouts after roasting to make this more substantial as a main-course salad.
Keeping it
Best eaten immediately while the sprouts are still warm and the nuts still crisp. If you need to get ahead, roast the sprouts and make the dressing up to 2 hours in advance, then reheat the sprouts in a hot oven for 5 minutes and dress just before serving. Do not add the nuts or cheese until the last moment.
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