Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

The story

Brussels sprouts may be the only vegetable in the world with a reputation so divided that they have earned a place in Christmas jokes as firmly as on the plate. British and Irish surveys regularly put them on the list of most hated and the list of most traditional Christmas foods in the same breath. The key to acceptance, in the view of many Irish cooks, is bacon. Sprouts halved and pan-fried with crisp bacon lose some of their bitterness and pick up a smoky saltiness that makes them far more tempting than the boiled, watery version many remember from childhood as a punishment and not a treat. The sprout season in Ireland naturally peaks in December, which long ago made them a practical, locally available side for the roast when little else is growing in the garden. Many families now see Brussels sprouts with bacon as a test of how tastes change across generations: the dish children once refused, and now ask for on their own Christmas plate.