Brussels sprouts are one of my favourite items for a side dish. They are very versatile even though the family complains about the after effects of cruciferous vegetables… 🙂 . I have blanched them, followed by sauteeing them in butter with chopped Walnuts, shredded them into ribbons and steamed sauteed them with grated coconut a la Souther Indian, aka Tambram style and many more. This one is a roasted variety.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Brussels Sprout2
- 3 Tbsp of high smoke point oil (Vegetable/Peanut, I tend to use Grape seed oil since all of it is non GMO)
- 2 or 3 Tbsp Fish sauce; you can use Soy sauce if the Fish sauce is too Umami laden for you
- 2 Tbsp (or so) Something sweet like Agave nectar or Maple syrup. I find that Maple syrup tends to take over the dish. I have even used Demerera sugar ( 2 and a half teaspoons)
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp finely grated Ginger
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Mise en Place and Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Prep the Brussels sprouts
- Trim the stems and remove the tough outer leaves
- Cut them in half (Quarters is OK too if they are really large)
- Soak them in cold water for five minutes to get rid of any dirt
- Drain them and spread them out on Paper towels in a single layer to dry. Give it the 15 -20 minutes needed to really dry them out. You can speed it up with mopping up the water with paper towels
- Toss the Brussels sprouts in the Oil with Kosher salt and spread them out single layer on a non stick baking tray or a foil lined regular tray
- Bake on the top rack of the hot oven for 25 minutes
- Stir and turn them over for even cooking and continue cooking for another 20 – 25 minutes
- They should be Golden brown at the center but nicely charred with some crispiness to the outer leaves.
- During the last 15 – 20 minutes of the baking combine the rest of the ingredients and reduce on top of the stove on medium to high heat until reduced, thickened and syrupy.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts in a bowl with enough of the sauce to coat it. You don’t want excess sauce to make them soggy.
- Serve immediately.
I have sometimes enjoyed this dipping sauce tossed with sauteed cabbages. It is also quite good on roasted Cauliflower.
