Mustard With Mutton

Brussel Sprouts have always gotten a bad wrap. Why I’m not sure as I love them. In fact if I had to choose between broccoli, or any other green veg, and sprouts, I’d choose sprouts every time. They actually have a very complex flavour profile that can stand up to a lot of different cooking methods and a lot of different flavours. Roasted, steamed or even shaved into salads they are incredibly versatile. I even love them boiled and slightly overcooked with salt and butter. If you’re one of those people whose always shied away from sprouts this recipe may change your mind. To be fair most things that are baked in a cheesey white sauce are going to be pretty awesome but this is taken up a notch with the use of Taleggio cheese, and the idea of making a gratin out of sprouts is sheer genius as far as I’m concerned. Taleggio is an Italian washed rind, cows milk cheese that has quite an intense aroma that stands up well to the robust flavour of the sprouts. This would make a fantastic holiday side dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas, especially if turkey or other poultry is on the menu.

Ingredients – Serves 6   Adapted from Delicious Magazine

500g Brussel Sprouts, tough outer leaves removed and stems trimmed
50g butter, chopped
¹⁄₃ cup plain flour
400ml whole fat milk
150ml cream
100g Taleggio cheese, rind discarded, broken into small pieces
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 190C. Cook Brussel sprouts in boiling salted water until almost cooked through, but still slightly underdone. Drain and place in a buttered oven proof dish.

  

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium high heat until foaming. Ad flour and stir continuously until sandy coloured, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add combined milk and cream, whisking continuously until smooth and incorporated. Bring to the boil, stir in Taleggio and season to taste.

Pour sauce over the sprouts, scatter with the thyme leaves and bake until golden and bubbly, 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.