Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey-Mustard Glaze
Roast Brussels sprouts take just half an hour: halve the sprouts, toss them in a glaze of honey and coarse mustard, spread them on a tray and roast until the outer leaves turn dark and crisp. Roasted this way, sprouts taste noticeably milder and nuttier than boiled ones – good news even if your childhood memories of them are less than fond.
November is peak season for Brussels sprouts here. At the market, you'll often still find them on the stalk: firm, tightly closed and a deep green. Served alongside a Sunday roast, or simply with some dark bread and a fried egg, this tray fits right into any short November evening.
Ingredients
Serves 4:
- 800g Brussels sprouts
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp jarred lingonberries
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Trim the sprouts: cut off the base of the stalk, remove any wilted outer leaves and halve each sprout lengthways. The 17cm Santoku Knife is ideal for this: its wide, straight blade holds the small sprouts steady and slices them cleanly in two, without them rolling away.
- Whisk the rapeseed oil, honey, mustard and cider vinegar together in a large bowl until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper from the Salt and Pepper Mill.
- Toss the sprouts in the glaze until all the halves are lightly coated, then arrange them cut-side down on the tray. This lets the cut surface caramelise and turn properly brown.
- Roast for 25 minutes. After about 15 minutes, turn everything once with a spatula so the loose leaves colour too.
- Stir in the lingonberries and leave everything in the oven for another two to three minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve straight from the tray.
kjøk Tip
The whole trick lies in the cut surface: only when you halve the sprouts cleanly and lay the flat side down does the sprout get full contact with the tray and turn brown rather than soft and pale. A knife that slices straight through the sprouts without crushing them saves you a lot of bother here. To keep the blade sharp, wash it by hand – never in the dishwasher, where heat and salt attack the edge – and dry it straight away; a few strokes on the whetstone every few weeks keeps the cut clean. Wipe olive wood handles with a damp cloth only, and rub them with a little cooking oil now and then. Mills belong in a dry cupboard, not on a damp windowsill. You'll find the right tools in our Cutting range.
FAQs
Why do my Brussels sprouts sometimes taste bitter?
Bitterness mostly comes from boiling sprouts for too long. In the oven, the opposite happens: the dry heat caramelises the sugar in the sprout, and the honey in the glaze rounds off the rest. Very large sprouts taste stronger – quarter rather than halve those.
Do I need to blanch Brussels sprouts first?
No. For this tray, they go into the glaze raw, otherwise they turn pale and soft in the oven instead of crisp. Only if your sprouts are very large – over 4cm across – is it worth adding a quarter more roasting time.
Can I prepare this tray ahead?
Yes. You can halve the sprouts in the morning and keep them covered in the fridge. It's best to mix in the glaze just before baking, so the vinegar doesn't soften the leaves.
