Duck fat-fried sprouts with mushroom ketchup
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Duck fat-fried sprouts with mushroom ketchup
Recipe by Ruth Hansom
Crispy on the outside and tender within, these Brussels are given a final fry in duck fat for a perfect finish. Married to an umami-rich mushroom ketchup, sprouts have never tasted so good
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
143Kcal
Fat
10gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
6gr
Sugars
5gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.1gr
Ruth Hansom
Ruth's experiences with food and cooking as a girl led her to apprentice at The Ritz. She won the Young National Chef of the Year award in 2017 and is now head chef at The Princess of Shoreditch gastro pub in London.
See more of Ruth Hansom’s recipes
Ruth Hansom
Ruth's experiences with food and cooking as a girl led her to apprentice at The Ritz. She won the Young National Chef of the Year award in 2017 and is now head chef at The Princess of Shoreditch gastro pub in London.
See more of Ruth Hansom’s recipes
Ingredients
- 600g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 300g duck fat, to deep fry
For the mushroom ketchup
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 300g chestnut mushrooms
- 250g large flat mushrooms
- 20g dried porcini or wild mushrooms
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground mace
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 60ml malt vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
Step by step
Get ahead
The mushroom ketchup will keep for up to 2 months in a sterilised jar in the fridge; try serving it with a fry-up or scrambled eggs. Blanch, refresh and dry the sprouts the day before serving, then cool, cover and chill.
- To make the mushroom ketchup, heat a splash of the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt and gently sweat for 8-10 minutes until translucent.
- Finely chop the chestnut and large flat mushrooms, then add to the pan with a splash more oil. Cook down until soft. Meanwhile, boil a kettle and pour 150ml boiled water over the dried mushrooms in a bowl and leave to soak for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving the mushroom liquid, and add the rehydrated mushrooms to the pan.
- Add the nutmeg, mace and garlic granules to the pan, stir for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients, including the mushroom liquid. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add a splash of water if you want to loosen the consistency. Allow to cool, or chill if making ahead.
- Boil the sprouts in salted water for 4-5 minutes until tender. Refresh in cold water and dry well (this is important, as you will be adding them to hot fat).
- When ready to serve, put the duck fat into a small-medium saucepan and heat to 180°C (check with a thermometer or drop in a cube of bread – it should take about 15 seconds to brown). Add the sprouts in batches and fry until crispy all over. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a kitchen paper-lined plate and repeat with the remaining sprouts. Season with salt, then serve with the mushroom ketchup. The duck fat can be cooled and re-used to cook Yorkshire puddings or roast potatoes.
