Lilly Higgins’s Christmas Special: Balsamic roast brussel sprouts

This is a bit of a twist on the traditional boiled sprout and is sure to quash all those sprout doubters. It sounds strange at first mixing sprouts with grapes and nuts but it’s a real Christmas miracle and tastes amazing. The sweet piquancy of the balsamic vinegar with a dash of honey is just divine, the crunchy pecans are so reminiscent of holidays and pair really well with the roast grapes.

This is a sprout dish that deserves to be a main course it’s so good, ideal for vegetarians and you can add some crumbled feta on top. Use maple syrup instead of honey if you’re making this vegan. This only takes minutes to prepare and has real wow factor.

Balsamic roast brussel sprouts

• 500g sprouts
• 100g grapes
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 200g pecan nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the sprouts, grapes, vinegar and oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper then gently mix. Tip onto a roasting tray and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes till the grapes are soft and almost bursting and the sprouts are nicely golden in places. Drizzle over the honey and toss to coat everything. Place on a serving platter and scatter with the pecan nuts, serve immediately.