Seasonal Recipes – December
![191214-veg](http://www.sugarvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/191214-veg.jpg)
Brussel Sprouts with Home cured Smoked Bacon, Chestnuts and Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients • 200g Brussel sprouts • 500g Pork belly • 100g Girolle or Trumpet mushrooms • 100g Cooked chestnuts • 250g Sugar • 250g Salt • Water • Maple syrup • Smoking Chips Method 1. Firstly mix the sugar, salt, and maple syrup together in a container add the pork belly and cover with water add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, make sure salt and sugar has dissolved and leave in the fridge for 3 days. 2. Remove the belly from the “cure” and gently heat some smoking chips in a tray until they start to smoke, put a cooling rack on top and place your pork belly on top, cover with tin foil and put in the oven for 10 minutes then remove and leave to cool. 3. Take the outer leaves from the sprouts and mark a cross on the base with a small knife, dice the bacon to your preferred size and ensure the wild mushrooms are cleaned. 4. Blanch the sprouts for 5 minutes, whilst slowly sautéing the diced Belly pork, add the mushrooms and crumbled chestnuts half way through then when the sprouts are ready add them to the same pan add about 10g of butter and sauté until slightly coloured, season with salt and pepper and serve. 5. When preparing any wild Mushrooms be sure to check them thoroughly any soil or twigs that may still be inside. 6. Beware when smoking the pork belly, especially when you remove the tin foil as smoke will come out the sides (and possibly set off your some alarm) 7. Try to choose a pork belly with good meat content some may have thicker fat than meat Next up, Restaurant and Bar Manager of The Bishopstrow’s Mulberry Restaurant, Sijin Sudhakar, takes Head Chef’s second seasonal ingredient of choice this month, a pear, to create a classy Pear Martini cocktail.![pom2](http://www.sugarvine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1912-Pear.jpg)