Preparation:

Remove any wilted, dead or discoloured leaves from the brussel sprouts

Cut the stem off at the base. Although one can eat the stem, it tends to be hard compared to the rest of the sprout. Also, it cooks slower than the rest of the brussel sprout. So, it is best just to cut it off at the base.

The base of the brussel sprout will cook slower than the rest of the sprout. To ensure that the entire sprout cooks at the same rate, take a sharp knife and make a shallow cut in the base. Then make a second cut in the base, at a right angle to the first cut. This divides the base into 4, making it cook faster so that one does not end up with an under-cooked base or over-cooked leaves.

Cooking:

Put the brussel sprouts into a pot of water and boil for 10 minutes (if you like your vegetables crisp) to 15 minutes (if you like vegetables cooked until soft).

While the brussel sprouts are cooking, fry the bacon pieces in some butter, until they are cooked but not burnt. If you do not have ready-made bacon pieces, simply cut up some bacon into small pieces (a centimeter in size or smaller).

When the brussel sprouts are cooked, drain off the water. Then add them to the frying pan, mixing together the sprouts, bacon pieces and butter. Once mixed, they are ready to be served.

Serving:

Put the brussel sprouts into a serving bowl, or straight onto the plates.