Trim off the sprout bases and remove any damaged leaves.
350 g Brussels sprouts
Halve any particulaly large sprouts.
Give the trimmed sprouts a quick rinse in a bowl of water.
Place the cooking water and salt in a medium sized lidded pan and bring to the boil.
150 ml water, 1 pinch sea salt
Add the Brussels sprouts and boil lightly for four to six minutes or until the sprouts are al dente, but still beautifully green. You can test with a sharp knife, but trying one is a surer way to tell.
Drain off the water and serve immediatly with the butter and pepper if desired.
1 knob butter, freshly ground black pepper
Notes
If you're cooking the sprouts as part of a big roast dinner, make sure they are the very last thing you cook so they can be served hot and freshly cooked.It's best not to cook them for more than 8 minutes or they are likely to become sulphurous and yellow.Serve au naturel or with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil instead of the butter, if preferred.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used.