Jamie Cooks Christmas
By Jamie Oliver
1 hr 50 mins plus chilling
Not Too Tricky
serves 12
About the recipe
Brussels sprouts are a mighty veg – they’re super nutritious and delicious and I couldn’t have Christmas without them. Cheesy Brussels sprouts, packed into a chestnut pastry and topped with crunchy almond breadcrumbs – this is a luxurious vegetarian main that I love to serve during the festive season.
Recipe From
Ingredients
PASTRY
250g unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200g vac-packed chestnuts
1 large free-range egg
FILLING
25g unsalted butter
olive oil
½ a bunch of fresh thyme (10g)
2 onions
500g Brussels sprouts
150g Cheddar cheese
250g ricotta cheese
20g blue cheese
3 large free-range eggs
150ml single cream
ALMOND CRUMB
1 thin slice of wholemeal bread (35g)
50g blanched almonds
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Lightly grease a deep, 26cm loose- bottomed tart tin.
- To make the pastry, blitz the cold butter, flour, chestnuts and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor, then pulse in the egg until it comes together into a rough dough. Tip out onto a work surface and bring it together with your hands – don’t overwork it. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut off one-third of the pastry, wrap and store in the fridge or freezer to use another day. Roll out the remaining pastry on a flour-dusted surface until just under ½cm thick, then loosely roll it around the rolling pin and unroll over the tart tin, easing it in and pushing it carefully into the sides.
- Trim off any excess, prick the base with a fork, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- To make the filling, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat and strip in the thyme leaves.
- Peel, roughly chop and add the onions, then trim, finely slice and stir in the Brussels sprouts. Add a splash of water, season with salt and black pepper, then cook for 20 minutes, or until sweet and soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- To make the crumb topping, tear the bread into the processor, add the almonds, strip in the thyme leaves and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, then pulse into breadcrumbs. Set aside.
- Line the chilled pastry case with baking paper, then fill with rice, making sure you pack it right out to the sides. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and rice and bake for another 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Leave to cool.
- Grate and add the Cheddar to a large bowl, along with the ricotta, a crumbling of blue cheese and a good pinch of black pepper. Crack in the eggs and mix well, then stir in the cooled veg mixture. Gently fold in the cream.
- Tip the filling into the pastry case, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle over the almond crumb, then place in the oven for 50 minutes, or until golden and delicious.
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