I wanted to do something with Brussels sprouts for Christmas this year. There are, of course, lots of great options to choose from, but I liked the look of this one from the Dish of the Day cookbook. It was fairly simple and easy to put together and the chestnuts made it feel extra festive.

Although I liked the idea of combining sprouts and chestnuts, I was only lukewarm on some of the other details of the recipe, so I made a few changes based on what appealed to me and what I had on hand. Instead of using three different types of fat (olive oil, butter, and walnut oil) -- all added at different points during cooking -- I just used a single Tbsp. of bacon grease. And since I was a little low on red wine vinegar, I used a touch of balsamic vinegar as well. Other than that, I stuck to the recipe though. And everyone seemed to like the results!

Vinegar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. bacon grease
• 450g Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 90g chesnuts, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat bacon grease over medium heat.
2. Add sprouts, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts have browned a bit (~4 minutes).
3. Add chicken stock and chestnuts, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, until sprouts are tender (~20 minutes).
4. Add sugar and vinegar along with a little water if the pan seems dry and cook until the liquid has reduced and sprouts are well-coated (2-3 minutes).
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.