You Know...

Brussels Sprouts aren't that bad. Really. Well, they're not that bad so long as you disguise them with potatoes, garlic, mustard and cream, along with a few other things.

Hubby loves Brussels sprouts while the kids and I loathe them. Loathe. Them. However, in the interests of marital harmony I do, on occasion, try to cook things that I know will make Hubby happy and when I saw this recipe in the new issue of donna hay magazine I thought I might be able to kill two birds with one stone. The Brussel's sprouts part would please Hubby's taste-buds while the rest of the ingredients would drown out, or at least lessen the impact of, their flavour. If all else failed I figured I could just pick off the offending sprouts and leave the potato part for the kids and I.

I worried needlessly! This was tasty, the sprouts soaked up the other flavours nicely and everyone in the house ate their whole serving. I swapped around a couple of ingredients based on what was I had to hand but I don't think those changes made much overall difference. We ate this with oven-baked crumbed lamb cutlets and steamed carrots and fresh-from-our-garden broccoli. This dish will be making a repeat appearance at our table. Like I said, Brussels sprouts aren't that bad.

Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin

from donna hay magazine, June/July 2009

350g sebago (starchy) potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (umm, they were potatoes)*

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

200g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1/3 cup single (pouring) cream (I only had double cream so I used that)

1/3 cup chicken stock (the beef stock was already open)

2 teaspoons hot English mustard (I used Dijon)

1 clove garlic, crushed

sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 180C. Layer potato in a 2 cup-capacity oven-proof dish (I used a pie-dish, it was fine) , sprinkle with thyme and top with the sprouts.** Place the cream, stock, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour over the potato mixture. Place on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the potato is tender and sprouts are golden.

*WA has the most ridiculous regulations about potatoes that can be sold in shops. Until quite recently we basically were allowed to buy one type of potato - we can grow whatever we can get our hands on but we can't buy or sell them. It's crazy, annoying and stupid. But it's what we have so generally I'm using what is sold as "washed potatoes" - yep, huge description there. Look, it's getting slightly better - we have about three varieties of potatoes available now!

* I was running late with dinner and threw the potato, thyme and sprouts in the microwave for 8 minutes to semi-cook then poured the cream mix over and baked it for about 25 minutes. It worked a treat.