Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Chilli-Honey Glaze

The brussels sprout problem of the past forty years has been one of cooking method. Boiled brussels sprouts (the British school dinner of the 1970s and 80s) are appalling — sulphurous, soggy, the colour of old felt. Roasted brussels sprouts (the answer of the 2010s) are good — properly browned, slightly bitter, fundamentally interesting. Air- fried brussels sprouts are roasted brussels sprouts, but better and faster: same caramelisation, half the time, no sheet pan.

The glaze here is the move that pushes them from "side dish" to "thing people actually fight over at the table." Soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili flakes — sticky, salty-sweet, with enough heat to balance the natural sweetness of the caramelised sprouts. You toss the sprouts in the warm glaze right after they come out of the basket, so the surface stays crisp but every leaf gets coated.

The photo is the result — dark green sprouts with charred outer leaves, glossy with glaze, dotted with red chili flakes and visible sesame seeds, served in a deep blue ceramic bowl against a navy napkin. The glaze has pooled slightly at the bottom of the bowl, which is fine — that's the sauce you want to spoon over rice later.