You can’t get much more wintry than a brussel sprout focussed meal. This risotto is delicious and made better by buttery brussels sautéed with sage and thyme and optional bacon and almonds, creating the perfect savoury salty combos.

Ingredients: Shallots, garlic, brussel sprouts, lemon thyme, sage, and spinach.

From the larder: Butter, 170g Arborio rice, 600-ml stock, 30g Parmesan, 40g almonds and/or 2 slices bacon chopped into pieces (optional).

Instructions:

• Chop the shallots and garlic. Sauté in butter for 2 mins then add the Arborio rice and cook until it looks slightly translucent.
• Prepare stock and add to the rice ladle-by-ladle and cook until rice is al denté and risotto creamy. Stir and allow stock to absorb between each ladle. This process should take about 20 minutes. Half way through cooking, add the lemon thyme leaves stripped off the stems.
• While the risotto is cooking, slice the brussel sprouts, and chop the almonds and sage leaves. Melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the sprouts until they are soft and starting to brown. When sprouts are softening, add the almonds and sage and fry altogether.
• If using bacon, start frying that first and add the sprouts followed by almonds and sage.
• When risotto is ready, take off the heat, mix in spinach and grated Parmesan, allowing Parmesan to melt and spinach to wilt.
• Stir the brussel sprouts, almonds, sage and optional bacon into the risotto and serve immediately.