Diarmuid Ó Mathúna is a Galway based chef and cafe owner.

I come from a big family and we love our grub. For me, to be Irish at Christmas is about all hands on deck. I don’t ever remember a Christmas dinner with fewer than 10 at the table, even when some of us were on the other side of the globe. Thankfully with a butcher and publican for a father and with a mother who really loves good food, there was no shortage of experienced instruction in the kitchen. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a debate on the flouriness of the potatoes over a latenight spiced beef sandwich.

One thing that I never understood was the seemingly ubiquitous hatred of brussels sprouts. I can only assume it was because my mother knew just how to cook them because I have always loved them. Which brings me to my recipe for Roast Brussel Sprouts with Hazelnuts.

Tá teaghlach mór agamsa agus i aoibheann linn ár gcuid bia. Domsa, is éard is brí le bheith ‘I d’Éireannach um Nollaig’ ná meitheal oibre. Ní chuimhin liom riamh níos lú ná 10 a bheith ag an mbord don dinnéar ar an lá, fiú nuair a bhí cuid againn taobh eile na cruinne. Bhí an t-ádh linn mar sin gur búistéir agus tabhairneoir a bhí i m’athair agus go raibh an-dúil go deo ag ár máthair i mbia maith, agus mar gheall air sin ní raibh ganntanas ar bith treoir ann ach oiread. Ní hí an Nollaig í go dtí go mbeidh plé ar chaighdeán na bprátaí agus muid ag ithe ceapairí mairteola spíosraithe mall san oíche.

Rud amháin nár thuig mé riamh ná an fuath atá ag gach éinne ar bhachlóga bruiséile. Caithfidh go raibh fios a bhealaí ag mo mháthair leo mar gur thaitin siad go mór liomsa i gcónaí. Rud a thugann a fhad le m’oideas mé. Bachlóga Bruiséile Rósta le Collchnónna. Ní hé seo go díreach a réiteodh sí féin iad ach is traidisiún láidir iad anois i mo theach féin agus tá mo mháthair sách tógtha leo bealach seo freisin.

It’s not quite how my mother would have prepared them but it’s become a strong tradition in my own house and it has gotten her seal of approval too so that’s good enough for me.

Ingredients:
500g Brussels sprouts
50g butter
25g hazelnuts

Method:
Use a nice big tray for the sprouts. We want them to roast rather than
stew. If you’re under pressure for time you could simply chop the raw
hazelnuts and throw them in with sprouts when you’re roasting them
rather than roasting them separately.
1. Preheat the oven to 200/180 le gaothrán/Gas 5.
2. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray and put them in the preheated
oven for 5 minutes, maximum, until the skin begins to come
off. Don’t allow them to burn. Place them in a tea towel and fold the
sides up around them. Rub them around inside the tea towel for a
couple of seconds. Check them, and if most of the skin has come
off, remove them from the towel and discard the skins. Don’t worry if
some still have some skin on.
3. Lay them out on a chopping board and cover them again with the tea
towel. Using a rolling pin or the back of frying pan, bash them a bit
until they’re nicely broken up.
4. Place the butter on the hot baking tray and allow it to melt, tilting
the tray to make sure it’s well spread out.
5. Using a knife, remove the strong stem from the sprouts. Cut the
sprouts in half (or quarters if they’re very big) and spread them out
on the baking tray, cut side up.
6. Place the tray in the oven and roast them for around 15-20 minutes,
shaking from time to time, until they’ve got some nice golden brown
edges. Scatter the toasted hazelnuts over them and serve.

Ní hé seo go díreach a réiteodh sí féin iad ach is traidisiún láidir iad anois i mo theach féin agus tá mo mháthair sách tógtha leo bealach seo freisin.

Comhábhair:
500g bachlóga bruiséile
50g im
25g collchnónna

Method:
Bain úsáid as trádaire deas mór bácála do na bachlóga. Táimid ag iarraidh
iad a rósta seachas iad a stiúáil. Má tá tú faoi bhrú ama, d’fhéadfá na
collchnónna amha a ghearradh suas agus díreach a chaitheamh iseach
leis na bachlóga agus tú á róstáil seachas iad a róstáil leo féin.
1. Téigh an oigheann go dtí 200/180 le gaothrán/Gas 5.
2. Scaip na collchnónna ar an trádaire bácála agus cuir san oigheann iad ar feadh 5 nóiméad ar a mhéid, go dtí go dtosóidh an craiceann ag
teacht dóibh ach ná scaoil leo dó. Cuir isteach in tuáille tae iad agus
fill taobhanna an tuáille tharstu. Cuimil ansin iad tríd an tuáille ar
feadh cúpla soicind. Feách orthu, agus má tá formhór an chraiceann
bainte, bain amach as an tuáille iad agus caith an chraiceann sa
bhruscar. Ná bí buartha má tá beagáinín craicinn orthu go fóill.
3. Leag amach ar chlár gearrtha iad agus clúdaigh arís iad leis an tuáille.
Buail go láidir iad le crann fuinte nó le bun pota nó frioctháin le hiad a bhriseadh beagáinín.
4. Cuir an t-im ar an trádaire bácála te le go leáfaidh sé agus go
scaipfidh se amach go cothrom.
5. Gearr an gas láidir de bhun gach bachlóg agus gearr ina dhá leath iad. Má tá siad an-mhór, gearr ina cheathrúnna iad. Scaip amach ar an
trádaire bácála iad, an taobh gearrtha in airde.
6. Isteach leis na bachlóga san oigheann agus déan iad a róstáil ar feadh 15-20 nóiméad, á ºchreathadh ó am go ham, go dtí go mbeidh dath
deas donn-óir ag teacht ar orthu. Scaip na collchnónna thartstu agus
tabhair chun bord iad.