Not so long ago, it seems, the Brussels sprout was embedded on the culinary popularity spectrum somewhere in the vicinity of, oh, head cheese, and fruit cake—mocked, scorned, derided as icky and gross. And no wonder: when boiled, these funny little veggies can be icky and gross—unless, of course, you like your food pale, bland, watery and your home to reek of cabbage (eww).

So how did this formerly maligned vegetable become darling of foodies and a player on trendy restaurant menus? Well, the message finally came through that boiling is the Brussels sprout's worst enemy. These days, cooks in the know braise, saute, and roast their sprouts, with seriously delectable results.

Brian and I are fully committed to the roasting method, which makes the Brussels sprouts caramelized, a tad crisp around the edges, and deeply flavorful. We happen to prefer ours very tender and browned—feel free to pull back on the roasting time if you like yours a bit more firm. I often add chopped shallot, which becomes soft and sweet in the oven; bacon or pancetta, which coats the sprouts with its tasty fat; and, sometimes, a chopped apple along with the bacon. The truth is, though, all Brussels sprouts really need to shine (aside from a hot oven) are a little olive oil, salt and pepper.





BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH SHALLOTS, BACON, AND APPLE

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and halved
1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, cut into small pieces
3 small shallots, chopped
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
A couple tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan large enough to hold everything in a single layer, toss Brussels sprouts, bacon, shallots, and apple with just enough olive oil to barely coat (remember, the bacon will give off fat, too). Roast for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.


Categories: Sides, Vegetables


Copyright (c) 2007 Sarah Kiino, www.avenuefood.com. My RSS feed is for personal, noncommercial use only. If you are perusing this post on a site that is neither www.avenuefood.com, nor your news aggregator, the Web site you are reading has likely stolen my material, and I'd like to know about it. Please send me an e-mail at avenuefoodAThotmailDOTcom. Thanks for your assistance in this matter.