Brussels sprouts are halved and roasted hot

For years, Brussels sprouts were the vegetable everyone pushed to the side of the plate at Christmas. Boiled whole until grey, soft and sulphurous, they had earned it. What changed them in our house was simply the oven. Halved and roasted hot, sprouts turn sweet and nutty, with crisp, dark-golden edges, and now they are one of the first things to go.

For four to six people I use about 600 g of sprouts, two tablespoons of olive or rapeseed oil, salt and black pepper. For Christmas I sometimes add a handful of cooked chestnuts or a few strips of bacon, and a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of honey at the end.

I heat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C for a fan oven. While it heats, I trim the sprouts: I cut a thin slice off the dry stalk end and pull off any yellow or damaged outer leaves. There is no need to cut a cross into the base, which is an old habit for boiling. Then I cut each sprout in half from top to bottom, through the stalk, so the leaves stay together.

I rinse the halves in a colander and dry them well on a clean tea towel. Wet sprouts steam instead of roasting. In a large bowl I toss them with the oil, salt and pepper, and then spread them on a large baking tray in a single layer, cut side down. This matters: the cut side against the hot tray is what gives the dark golden colour. If the tray is crowded, I use two.

They roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife and well coloured underneath. I shake the tray once halfway through. The outer leaves that fall off go very crisp, almost like crisps, and the children pick those first. I aim for golden and dark-edged rather than black; burnt bits taste bitter.

If I am adding bacon, I scatter the strips over the sprouts at the start, so the fat runs into them. Bacon is raw pork, so it needs to be cooked until crisp all the way through, and I wash my hands after handling it. Cooked chestnuts go in for the last five minutes, just to warm through. Honey goes on at the very end, and only on the grown-ups' portion if a baby under one is eating with us, because honey is not suitable for babies.

On Christmas Day, when the oven is full, I roast the sprouts in the last 25 minutes, while the turkey rests and the potatoes finish. They share the hot oven well.

Leftover roasted sprouts go into the fridge within two hours and keep for two days. They are good reheated in a hot pan until steaming, or chopped into bubble and squeak with leftover potato.

The roast potatoes I make for Christmas are in the Recipes section of this site, both my roast potatoes that win everyone over and the hasselback version; sprouts like these sit very happily beside either.

When I buy sprouts, I choose small, tight, bright green ones with no yellow leaves; they roast more evenly and taste sweeter than big loose ones. They keep in the fridge for a few days in an open bag.

Roasted Brussels sprouts. Serves 4–6. About 35 minutes. You need 600 g Brussels sprouts, 2 tbsp oil, salt and pepper, and bacon, cooked chestnuts, lemon or honey if you like. Trim and halve the sprouts, rinse and dry well, toss with oil and seasoning, and roast cut side down in one layer at 220°C (200°C fan) for 20–25 minutes, until tender and golden.

Are you a sprout lover, or a sprout pusher?