Brussels sprouts have had it rough. Horrifically mistreated throughout the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties, for too long we threw them into boiling water and left them to wilt, stew and practically dissolve.

In the process, generations have grown up thinking sprouts are disgusting, an inedible hell only to be endured on Christmas Day.

“I still have nightmares now, watching my mum on Christmas Eve criss-crossing the bottom of the sprouts,” remembers chef Gordon Ramsay, author of Ramsay In 10. “The minute she blanched them they blew up – all the leaves had separated.”

We’ve moved on now though, haven’t we? In recent years the much-maligned, iron-packed brassica has had something of a renaissance amongst celebrity chefs, cookbooks, restaurants and, increasingly, home kitchens. It has slowly been discovered that they don’t need to be boiled to smithereens. They can be fried! Roasted! Shredded! Eaten raw in a salad! Who knew?!

Why not try some of these recipes that take the humble sprout to a new level.

James Sawbridge’s savoury bread pudding with cheesy sprouts

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

50g (1¾oz) butter

1tbsp plain flour

75ml (2½fl oz) white wine

200ml (7fl oz) double cream

1tsp wholegrain mustard

½tsp ground nutmeg

½tsp celery salt

150g (5½oz) mature Cheddar, grated

350g (12oz) sprouts, halved

2 slices of sourdough, toasted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Mix into a basic roux base and then slacken it with the white wine.

2. Continue to stir the roux while adding in the cream, mustard, nutmeg, and celery salt, then cook over a low heat for three to four minutes until velvety and smooth.

3. Add the cheese and allow to melt, then remove the pan from the heat.

4. Steam the sprouts for four minutes, then add them to the cheese sauce with torn pieces of the toasted sourdough. Pour the mixture into a small casserole dish and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese sauce is golden and the edges have started to crisp.

The Complete Vegetable Cookbook: A Seasonal, Zero-Waste Guide To Cooking With Vegetables by James Strawbridge is published by DK.

Gino D’Acampo’s Brussels sprouts and chorizo

Ingredients:

(Serves 4 as a side dish)

4tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1⁄2tsp chilli flakes

150g chorizo, finely chopped

500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, then par-boiled for 5 minutes

3tbsp maple syrup

Fine sea salt

Method:

1. Pour the olive oil into a shallow saucepan and set over a high heat. Add the onion and chilli and fry for three minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the chorizo and continue to fry for a further eight minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Pour in the par-boiled and well-drained Brussels sprouts, then add the maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for four minutes, stirring occasionally. So quick and easy, but the flavours together are amazing.

Gino’s Italian Family Adventure: Easy Recipes The Whole Family Will Love by Gino D’Acampo is published by Bloomsbury.

Vegan smashed Brussels sprouts and garlic mayonnaise

Ingredients:

(Makes 1 tray)

300–400g (10½–14 oz) Brussels sprouts

Olive oil, for cooking

Sprinkle of white sesame seeds

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the garlic mayonnaise:

100g (3½ oz/½ cup) plant mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, grated

Juice of ½ a lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F/gas 8).

2. Peel the outer layer of the sprouts and give them a good wash. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the sprouts and parboil for 10 minutes until semi-soft. Careful the sprouts don’t turn a dull green which means they have been overcooked. Drain well.

3. Line a large baking tray (pan) with baking parchment, then spread the Brussels sprouts over the parchment. Make sure the sprouts have enough space in between and flatten them with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass until they are as flat as possible. You might find that some water comes out of the sprouts when you flatten them, so soak up any excess water with paper towel.

4. Drizzle the sprouts with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and sesame seeds, then pop in the oven for 10–15 minutes until brown.

5. Remove the tray from the oven, turn the sprouts, sprinkle with more sesame seeds and pop back in the oven for a further 10 minutes. You want the sprouts to be golden and crispy!

6. While the sprouts are cooking, mix all the ingredients for the mayonnaise together in a bowl and set aside.

7. Once the sprouts are golden, remove from the oven and eat immediately while they are super crispy, dipping them in the garlic mayo.

Celebrate: Plant-Based Recipes For Every Occasion by Bettina Campolucci Bordi is published by Hardie Grant.