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A few sprouty tips for you first: They cook faster and more evenly if you cut a cross at the bottom before cooking. A pinch of sugar and some butter in the cooking water soothes the bitter taste. Spices like caraway seeds, fennel and anise makes the sprouts more digestible.

Ingredients

Serves 4

500g brussels sprouts

2 onions

1 tsp clarified butter

750 ml meat stock

Salt & pepper to taste

2g pinch of grated nutmeg

150g crème fraiche

For the dumplings:

1 bunch chives (or 3 tbsp frozen chives),

1 garlic clove,

300g venison mince,

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion

50g all purpose flour

Method

Clean and wash brussels sprouts. Peel onions and cut into cubes then brown in hot butter in a pot.

Add brussels sprouts and pour stock into the pot. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper and cook for 12-15 mins on medium heat until sprouts are firm.

Stir in creme fraiche and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

For the dumplings:

Rinse chives, dry and cut into small pieces. Peel and cut leftover onion and garlic finely.

Mix mince with onions, garlic, flour and half of the chives and knead to form a dough-like consistency.

Form little dumplings out of the mince mix and brown them in hot oil. Add them to the soup and simmer for 5 mins.

Serve with a sprinkling of chives. DM/TGIFood

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