Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
This fragrant recipe, also from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, balances the natural pairing of Brussels sprouts and bacon with fresh onion and thyme.
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 sprigs of thyme
Sea salt
Lemon juice (optional)
Method:
1. Trim away any damaged outer leaves and cut stems from the Brussels sprouts. If the sprouts are very small, cut the sprouts in half; for medium-sized ones, cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until tender in salted boiling water. Drain well.
2. Heat a heavy sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until rendered and brown, but not crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onion and thyme to the fat in the pan. Cook until onion is soft, but not browned. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon (optional).
3. Turn heat down to medium-high, add the drained sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until sprouts are warmed through and starting to brown. Add bacon and toss. Season to taste as needed.
Variations: For a vegetarian option, this dish is also delicious sans bacon, or tossed with chopped fresh thyme. It can also be prepared with Brussels sprout leaves: Cut stem from sprouts and separate the leaves. Thinly slice the compact centers. Do not boil leaves, instead add to onion after it has been cooked and salted. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in a splash of chicken broth to a depth of about ¼ inch, cover and cook until leaves are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears
This unique flavor combination is accented by salty pistachios.
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 pear, halved and cored
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then, place pear halves, cut sides-down, on the baking sheet, making sure there is enough oil to coat their cut surfaces.
2. Roast for about 20 minutes, then turn the Brussels sprouts with a metal spatula so that both sides will get caramelized. After another 10 minutes, turn the Brussels sprouts again, also flipping the pear slices. Reduce the oven heat to 375°.
3. Add pistachios to the pan to toast slightly, removing the baking sheet from the oven after 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice directly over all the ingredients, then use a spatula to roughly chop pear halves. Toss thoroughly, check for seasoning, and serve warm.
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Bacon
A great holiday side!
Ingredients:
3 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed of any tough core ends and halved lengthwise
6 slices thick-cut bacon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
20-25 whole fresh chestnuts
½ cup turkey or chicken stock
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prep the chestnuts, cut a slit in the shell of each chestnut with a serrated knife. Roast the chestnuts in a cast iron skillet in a 400° oven for 20 minutes or until tender. Peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle. If you have difficulty peeling them, reheat them for 5 minutes to further loosen their skins.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well.
3. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the butter. When the foam subsides, add the Brussels sprouts and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chestnuts and season with salt and pepper. Add the turkey or chicken stock, simmer until heated through and serve.
Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter & Lemon
The sweet, nutty brown butter here lends a beautiful finishing touch.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch medium radishes
1½ tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Brush a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but ½ inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in a medium bowl. Add 1½ tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.
2. Melt butter in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
3. Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.
Tempered-Butter Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Mixed spring radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well.
2. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.* Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Buttered Radishes
These dipped radishes make for a wonderful starter or snack!
Ingredients:
Radishes, green tops intact
1 pound butter, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons fleur de sel
Method:
1. Gently wash the radishes in ice water, removing any dirt from the greens. Dry them well. Temper the butter by placing it over moderate heat.*
2. Once tempered, season the butter with the fleur de sel.
3. Dip the bottom half of the radishes into the tempered butter. Dip a second time and gently shake to remove any excess butter from the bottom. Place the butter-coated radish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the radishes in the refrigerator until the butter is set.
*To temper butter, it’s easiest to use a double boiler, placing the butter over a pot of boiling water instead of directly heating the butter. Let the butter melt and heat up, then whisk occasionally until it thickens and stabilizes. It’s fully tempered when it has the consistency of melted chocolate.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Sautéed in chicken broth and tossed with garlic and shallots, these Brussels sprouts pair beautifully with bacon.
Ingredients:
1 pound (about 4-5 cups) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
2 cups Skagit River Ranch bacon ends, chopped into bite-size pieces (as necessary)
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
¾ cup chicken stock
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until bacon begins to brown. Remove pan from heat. Remove the bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan (discard any remaining drippings).
2. Return pan to medium-high heat, and stir in bacon, shallot, and Brussels sprouts; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until the broth mostly evaporates and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Apple & Bacon
Also tossed with brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, this warm side is sure to wow.
Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed of tough ends
6 slices of bacon
1 tart apple, finely diced
2 large shallots, minced
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Method:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until most of the fat has rendered and the meat is crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet. Meanwhile, shave the trimmed Brussels sprouts using a box grater or mandoline.
2. Add the diced shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the mustard seeds and stir to coat with the oil. Add the shaved Brussels sprouts to the pan and cook, again stirring until sprouts just begin to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar and brown sugar and toss thoroughly to combine.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter. (Be sure to scrape up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the skillet when doing so!) Crumble the bacon over top and add the apple slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Brussels Sprouts Pasta
Tossed with garlic, red onion and red pepper flakes, sautéed sprouts add sweet, nutty appeal to this comforting seasonal pasta from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters.
Ingredients:
4 cups Brussels sprouts
½ cup chopped red onion
3 cloves peeled garlic
1 pound pasta (farfalle, penne or orrechiette)
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut the stem out of each sprout and separate the leaves. (Thinly slice the tiny hearts if you can’t tease apart all the leaves.) Fill a large pot with salted water for the pasta; once boiling, add the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan, add a little olive oil, toss in the sprout leaves, salt and pepper to taste and sauté for about a minute over very high heat.
3. Add red onion and a pinch of hot pepper flakes and continue to sauté until sprouts are tender and a little browned, 2-5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and toss in garlic. (If garlic appears to be browning, add a splash of water to the pan.) Squeeze a little lemon juice onto the sprouts, and once pasta is done, drain and add to pan and toss together. Adjust seasonings to taste; serve drizzled with high-quality extra virgin olive oil.