Brussel Sprout Gratin with Horseradish and Parmesan

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to experience a rare event called a Blood Moon.

We have read several different theories on the occurrence of the Blood Moon from an ancient biblical prophecy to the moon and sun being perfectly aligned and the reddish colour being dependant on the amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere - either way the Blood Moon put on an impressive show and Mr B, Dad and I made sure we were in prime position to enjoy the show seeing as it was only viewable for a limited period. Poor Mum was in the kitchen cooking tea whilst we all abandoned ship and sat in the front yard taking photos of the moon.....

.....it was totally worth it and we showed her the photos afterwards which semi made up for our abandoning our posts helping with the dinner preparations....

Another rare event experienced recently was an absolute willingness on my behalf to eat brussel sprouts.

It's not quite up there with the whole Blood Moon thing but it's pretty close. When I saw this recipe for a Brussel Sprout Gratin with Horseradish and Parmesan I was completely sold - I love the combination of horseradish and parmesan and couldn't wait to try it in this dish.

The end result was a huge hit with all of us - the brussel sprouts were tender, the topping was golden and crunchy and the sauce was thick and creamy and packed a real flavour punch from the horseradish and parmesan. This is without a doubt my new favourite way to eat brussel sprouts - I'd even go as far as to say I actually enjoyed eating them as part of this dish!

Brussels Sprout Au Gratin with Horseradish and Parmesan Cheese - Serves 4 as a side 

400-500g brussel sprouts
250ml thickened cream
1-2 tbspns horseradish - depending on your taste preference (fresh if you can find it, if you use horseradish cream you may need to use a little extra)
Salt and Pepper to season
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbspn butter, melted

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Trim the ends off the brussel sprouts. If they are baby sprouts leave them whole but if they are big, cut them in half.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the brussel sprouts for about 7 mins or until they are soft but still have a slight crunch. Drain and rinse briefly in cold water to refresh.

Roughly chop the brussel sprouts and transfer to a small 6-8 cup oven proof dish.

In a small bowl or jug combine the the cream, horseradish and 1/2 the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cream mixture over the brussel sprouts.

In a small bowl or jug combine the breadcrumbs, butter and remaining parmesan. Mix with a fork until the breadcrumbs are coated in the butter. Evenly scatter the breadcrumbs over the brussel sprouts and bake for 15-20 mins or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

We served ours with some mashed potato and a corn cob but you could just as easily serve it as a side to meat or fish.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx