Brussels sprouts, Richard Clapton, St Ignatius and Jack Dyer.

Once upon a time, this blog started a campaign to promote the maligned Brussels sprout. The campaign has rolled on, relentlessly, like a Capricorn Dancer wave (after the horses). I just don’t talk about it much.

The other night, I made this side dish to accompany grilled steaks. It was a particularly cold and bleak late-autumn evening, one on which strong, robust flavours appeal.

Brussels sprouts with bacon and blue cheese

Trim the ends off a dozen Brussels sprouts and halve them. Peel one onion and quarter it. Plunge sprouts and the onion into boiling water and cook them fifteen minutes.

Fry three slices of short bacon, diced, until not quite crisp. I always add a little white wine and pepper to the pan.

Drain vegetables. Add to cooked bacon with a tablespoon of sour cream. Stir to coat. Remove to a heatproof serving bowl or platter. Crumble gorgonzola or other blue cheese over the top.

Grill three minutes. Serve with medium-rare eye fillet steaks. Pour a glass of red and toast the memory of Vlado, (who next Tuesday will be sent off from the same church - St Ignatius’ Richmond – from which another Richmond great, Jack Dyer, was despatched almost ten years ago).