Marmite Sprouts with Garlic Mash
Okay, we're just going to say it: sprouts get a bad rep and we're done standing by while that happens. These Marmite sprouts are properly delicious, sticky, savoury, and a little bit addictive alongside the creamiest roasted garlic mash you've ever had. The Marmite adds this deep umami punch that makes the sprouts taste almost meaty, and when you pile them on top of that fluffy, garlicky mash it's genuinely one of the best things on the Christmas table. We've made this for sprout skeptics and converted every single one. Make it this weekend and prove everyone wrong about sprouts.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to hot (200°C)
- Large baking tray
- Tin foil
- Small bowl
- Parchment paper or cling film
- Potato masher
- Large pot
- Large saucepan
- Marmite butter chilled in fridge or freezer until firm
Ingredients
- 1kg potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- 1 bulb of garlic
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- salt
- 2 tbsp Marmite
- 80g plant-based butter
- 400g Brussels sprouts
Method
Prepare the potatoes and garlic
- Prick the potatoes all over with the tip of a sharp knife and rub with olive oil and salt. Put on a baking tray
- Cut off the sprouting end of the garlic bulb, revealing the cloves inside. Put the bulb in the middle of the tin foil square, drizzle over a little olive oil, season with a little salt, wrap the bulb in the tin foil, pop the bulb on the same tray
- Roast in a hot oven for 45-50 minutes, until the potatoes and garlic are soft on the inside
For the marmite butter
- In a small bowl, beat the marmite and butter together until combined and fluffy. Lay the butter on a rectangle of parchment paper or cling film, roll the butter into a sausage shape and chill in the fridge or freezer until firm. This quantity will make more than you need for the recipe, but will last in the fridge or freezer for 1 month
Prepare the mashed potatoes
- Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the centre and squeeze the garlic cloves from the bulb. Use a potato masher to mash the fluffy potato centres with the roasted garlic. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you like
For the marmite sprouts
- Cut the sprouts in half through the core
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the sprouts and blanch for 2 minutes, until slightly softened and vibrant green. Drain the water away and allow to steam dry for a few minutes
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the sprouts. Dry fry them so that char and blacken in a few places. Reduce the heat to low and add a knob of marmite butter. Baste the sprouts in the butter and set aside
Serve
- Transfer the mash to a serving plate and smooth over. Top with the marmite sprouts and a sprinkle of flakey sea salt
Tips & Variations
- Don't skimp on the Marmite: We know it sounds like a lot but trust us, go generous. It caramelises on the sprouts in the pan and turns into something magical. A thin scraping just won't do the same job.
- Get the sprouts properly golden: Cut them in half and make sure they spend enough time in the pan to get some colour on the flat side. That caramelisation is where all the flavour lives, so don't rush it.
- Make the mash extra creamy: Henry always adds a splash more plant-based milk than seems sensible. It makes the mash properly silky and scoopable, which is exactly what you want under those sticky sprouts.
Why This Works
The trick here is roasting the garlic whole in foil rather than just boiling it into the mash. It gets all sweet and caramelised and smoky, and you just squeeze it straight in. That combined with the Marmite on the sprouts gives you this incredible savoury depth that makes the whole dish feel really special without being complicated.