Sprout, bacon and red pepper panzanella

Here’s a recipe I found in the Delicious magazine and it appealed for a few reasons. The Italian influence (Gianni will love it…) but also the concept of using up leftovers. I love a tray bake.

Ingredients

• 500g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 shallots, quartered
• ½ tsp caraway seeds
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 150g bacon lardons
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 thick (3cm) slices sourdough bread, torn into bite-size chunks
• 200ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp nonpareille capers
• 2 jarred roasted red peppers, cut into strips

 
Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Spread the sprouts and shallots out in a large deep roasting tin. Season with a pinch of salt and scatter over the caraway seeds, drizzle over 1 tsp oil then top with the lardons. Put the (unpeeled) garlic cloves in a corner of the tin. Roast for 10 minutes.
2. Stir up the contents of the tin, pour the chicken stock into the base then scatter over the torn bread. Bake for another 10 minutes until the lardons are crisp, the sprouts have browned and the bread is golden on top.
3. Remove the garlic cloves from the roasting tin and squeeze the flesh out of their skins into a small bowl. Mash the garlic with a fork then whisk in the remaining 3 tsp oil and the vinegar. Tip this into the roasting tin along with the capers and peppers. Toss everything together, season and serve hot.

Anne Maher

©Recipe and photo credit to the Delicious magazine