Charred sprouts....

jenny - that made me smile, as we had burnt sprouts a number of times when we were children, and the shout 'mum, the sprouts are burning again' would go up. Mum was ahead of her time in serving vegetables that were just cooked, rather than squashy. But, she'd always be doing so many things at once, that forgetting about the sprouts when finalising Christmas lunch for a big gathering became a family tradition.

I have burnt sprouts before when pan has run dry and cut off burnt pieces run them under hot tap and tossed in butter and no one did not know I quite like the bitter taste and always taste better after frost has been on them We used to eat them well cooked but now have the ale dente and fried with bubble and squeak.

They've never tasted bitter to me. I love them boiled, but wouldn't fancy them fried from raw...

I heard a thing about the fact that some people can taste a much stronger bitter taste in sprouts - they are trying to breed them sweeter!