Mary Berry's 'essential' ingredient for delicious Brussels sprouts

Mary Berry, the former Great British Bake Off judge, has shared her fool proof recipe to ensure your Brussels sprouts are a hit this Christmas. The tiny green balls are often a contentious part of the festive meal, with some people loving them and others considering them the worst vegetable.

However, Dame Mary Berry believes there's a simple way to make your Brussels sprouts irresistible this year - by using one 'essential' ingredient. She insists that butter is crucial for giving the sprouts a smooth and buttery flavour, which should help reduce their natural bitterness.

For those wanting to elevate their sprouts even further, adding pancetta or bacon, along with chestnuts, can create a delicious dish that will have your Christmas dinner guests asking for more. The recipe, featured on Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites and available on the BBC website, requires 900g of sprouts, 50g of butter, and salt and pepper.

For the enhanced version, you'll also need 200g of pancetta or bacon, 225g of defrosted and halved frozen chestnuts, and one onion.

To begin, remove the outer leaves from the sprouts, trim the base of each one, and halve them from top to bottom, leaving the root intact. Submerge the prepared sprouts in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until they're nearly tender, reports the Mirror.

Then, drain and immediately plunge them into a bowl of cold water to preserve their vibrant green colour. Next, melt half of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Once the butter starts to foam, add the pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it becomes crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan using a slotted spoon and set it aside to drain on kitchen paper.

In the same pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the onion and chestnuts, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

Stir in the cooked pancetta. Drain the sprouts thoroughly, then combine them with the pancetta, chestnut, and onion mixture.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot alongside roast turkey with all the trimmings.

Although the recipe may seem complex, Mary suggests saving time by frying the pancetta and chestnuts in advance before adding the fresh Brussels sprouts. She advises: "Ensure that the sprouts are at room temperature when you add them to the pan - if they are added straight from the fridge, they take too long to heat through. This dish is best eaten freshly cooked, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for one day."