A Way (or Two) with Brussels Sprouts

Contributor Jim Dixon of Real Good Food loves to burn his food. Not to a crisp, but to crispy, taking advantage of the Maillard reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. In the recipe below he applies to one of my favorite fall vegetables, brussels sprouts.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Two Ways

I think the key to keeping these little cabbages delicious is cooking them over high heat. They brown nicely and get tender without becoming mushy. Use a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Here are two different recipes, both starting with the same stove-top approach.

Cut a pound sprouts into quarters lengthwise. Some of the outer leaves may come off, but keep them with the quartered sprouts. Let the oil heat over medium-high for about a minute, then add the sprouts. Stir frequently and cook until the sprouts have browned nicely on all sides. I like mine fairly dark, right at the edge of being burnt, so I cook them for about 15 minutes.

1) With Stoneground Mustard

I learned this from Jason French (chef-owner at Ned Ludd) and David Padbergwhen they cooked at clarklewis here in Portland. I've adapted it a little, but the flavor is still the same.

After the sprouts are browned, add a chopped onion, a healthy pinch of salt, and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in about a quarter cup (more is better than less) of stoneground mustard. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, taste for salt, and serve.

2) With Honey & Sage

When the sprouts are caramelized, add a chopped red onion, a healthy pinch of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage (maybe 8-10 leaves, depending on the size). Cook for about 10 minutes, then add about one tablespoon each of honey and Katz Trio red wine vinegar. Cook another minute, adjust the salt, and serve.

And check out this recipe for a Brussels Sprouts Salad.

Salad Smackdown: Raw Brussels Sprouts Are Hot!

Brussels sprouts are apparently experiencing a moment of mad popularity. I'm seeing recipes calling for them popping up everywhere, except maybe in desserts, though I wouldn't be surprised to see some celebrity chef trying to convince us all that they're terrific when added to cheesecake. Really!

I was browsing the produce section of my supermarket the other day and saw bags of shredded sprouts (left) sitting atop a pile of the unshaved version and thought, wow, I wish I'd thought of that. One of my favorite salads has shaved brussels sprouts spiked with lots of lemon, shards of olives and minced anchovies. But trimming and shredding all those sprouts takes a lot of time…not that it stops me from making it, but with all that knife-work it definitely increases the opportunities for whining.

I've served this salad alongside grilled meats and fish with rave reviews, and, like slaws, it makes for terrific leftover greens a day or two later when the sprouts are wilted and infused with the lemon dressing.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon and Olives

3-4 c. shaved brussels sprouts
10 castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped
3-6 anchovies, minced
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon or chopped preserved lemons
Salt to taste

If you can't find bags of shaved brussels sprouts in your store's produce section, trim and halve whole brussels sprouts, then slice crosswise into very fine chiffonade. Place the shaved sprouts in a large salad bowl and add the olives, anchovies (start with the lesser number and add to taste), olive oil and lemon juice. Toss, adding salt to taste.

Check out these other recipes in the Salad Smackdown series!

Brussels Sprouts? Burn 'em!

And no, I don't mean at the stake, though served with a nice steak might be just the ticket. Here contributor Jim Dixon of Real Good Food extolls both his love for this brassica and his penchant for getting a certain reaction.

Of all the Brassicas, Brussels sprouts caramelize the best (or maybe it's the Maillard reaction; food chemists can sort that out). When I want to cook sprouts, "burning" is my first choice. Cut them in halves or quarters lengthwise (I like quarters since they provide two flat surfaces). Use a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, that's big enough to hold the sprouts in a single layer.

Heat enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet over medium high for a few minutes, then add the sprouts (include any bits of leaves that might come off when you're cutting them). Use tongs or your fingers (carefully!) to arrange them so a flat side is down, then cook for about 5 minutes. They start to color very quickly.

Turn them over and brown the other flat side for awhile, then go ahead and stir randomly every few minutes. When they're very brown or even slightly burnt looking, add a sliced red onion (or any onion, but I like red onions with sprouts) and a good pinch of salt. Turn the heat down a little and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the onion is soft.

At this point you have a few options. A drizzle of honey is a good one, especially if you also add something spicy (red pepper flake, a little cayenne, or hot sauce). A splash of Katz vinegar with honey or cane syrup provides the sweet-sour flavor of agrodolce. Whole grain mustard, using a fair amount, like a quarter cup, makes some of the best Brussels sprouts ever (let it cook for about 5 minutes at the very end). If you can find vincotto, drizzle a little over the sprouts; traditional balsamic vinegar is even better. You may never roast Brussels sprouts again.

Thanksgiving? It's About the Sides.

Jim Dixon of Real Good Food has a way with vegetables, and his sides are always fabulous. Here's one I'll be doing this holiday.

I think the key to keeping these little cabbages delicious is cooking them on the stove over high heat. They brown nicely and get tender without becoming mushy. Use a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. This has the added advantage of keeping the oven free for that other Thanksgiving dish. Here are two different recipes, both starting with the same stove-top approach.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Two Ways

Cut a pound sprouts into quarters lengthwise. Some of the outer leaves may come off, but keep them with the quartered sprouts. Let the oil heat over medium-high for about a minute, then add the sprouts. Stir frequently and cook until the sprouts have browned nicely on all sides. I like mine fairly dark, right at the edge of being burnt, so I cook them for about 15 minutes.

With Stoneground Mustard:

I learned this from Ned Ludd’s Jason French and David Padberg, now at Raven & Rose, when they cooked at Clarklewis here in Portland.

After the sprouts are browned, add a chopped onion, a healthy pinch of salt, and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in about a quarter cup (more is better than less) of stoneground mustard. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, taste for salt and serve.

With Honey & Sage:

When the sprouts are caramelized, add a chopped red onion, a healthy pinch of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage (maybe 8-10 leaves, depending on the size). Cook for about 10 minutes, then add about one tablespoon each of honey and Katz Trio red wine vinegar. Cook another minute, adjust the salt and serve.

If you're looking for those special Thanksgiving supplies, then head over to Jim's "warehouse" to get extra virgin olive oil, Katz Orleans method vinegars, Necton flor de sal and other goodies. He'll be open Saturday from 11 am-3 pm and Monday from 3-7 pm at 833 SE Main St., Suite 122, on the ground floor on the NE corner of the building.

Greenery for Your Holiday Table

I'm sure other shoppers have noticed me eyeing the Brussels sprouts in the produce department with a lascivious gleam in my eye and wondered what in heaven's name I must be thinking. In my defense, it's just that I've been obsessing over contributor Jim Dixon's recipe for caramelized sprouts (below).

Since I didn’t cook a turkey last month, we’ll have some form of it for Christmas (turkey thigh confit, and maybe a roasted breast to generate drippings for gravy). That means the usual mashed potatoes and dressing; I also like to have something creamy and something green. This will be the verdant course:

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Red Onion, Honey and Sage

This might edge out the version with whole grain mustard as my favorite way of cooking the little cabbages. Split a pound of brussels sprouts in half from top to bottom, then cut those halves crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces. You’ll end up with a pile of coarsely chopped sprouts along with some bits and pieces.

Toss them all into a hot skillet slicked with a healthy pour of extra virgin; cook them hot and fast, stirring frequently, until they’ve browned nicely, about 15-20 minutes. Take a red onion, slice it top to bottom, then across once or twice so the pieces are slightly larger than normal chopped onion. Add it to the brussels sprouts after they've cooked for about 10 minutes and are getting nicely caramelized. Cook both together for maybe 5 minutes, then add a dozen or so chopped fresh sage leaves, a tablespoon or more of Katz Trio red wine vinegar, about the same amount of good honey, and a couple of good pinches of sea salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Eat.

A Little Something on the Side

I don't know about you, but whether the main dish at the holiday is ham or roast beef, turkey, chicken or even fish, what I really care about is the sides. This week Jim Dixon of Real Good Food shares his most-requested holiday side dish and reminds you that you can get great winter squash, brussels sprouts (whole stalks for as little as $3), fresh cranberries, mushrooms, hearty greens, cheeses, eggs and almost everything else you need for your own holiday meal at your local farmers' market. Find Jim at PSU starting at 9 am on Sat., 11/20, or check here for listings.

I’ll be moving the content from my original website to the new one for the next several months, but I did get my version of Thanksgiving online. While it includes the instructions (I can’t really call it a recipe) for the industrial version of green bean casserole, do your guests a favor and make these brussels sprouts instead.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Mustard

Once I started cooking brussels sprouts like this, nobody ever wanted them any other way. It seems like everybody is using bacon with brussels sprouts this year, and while bacon is never a bad idea, it makes whatever it’s in more about the bacon. Brussels sprouts are delicious on their own, and this dish has converted more than a few haters. The key, as with many in the cruciferous family, is to cook uncovered.

I learned this from Jason French and David Padberg when they cooked at the late, great, clarklewis here in Portland (and by “late” I mean the long gone days of Michael Hebb and Morgan Brownlow; the place is still open, but with chef Dolan Lane cooking). Jason’s now chef-owner at Ned Ludd; David’s the chef at Park Kitchen. They used butter, “more than you might think,” as David said, but I use extra virgin olive oil, natch, and the results are delicious.

Trim a pound of sprouts, then halve or quarter lengthwise (the flat cut surfaces brown better). Dice a medium onion. Cook the onion in about a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt for a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the sprouts. Cook uncovered, turning occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until the sprouts have browned nicely. Add about a quarter cup of whole grain mustard, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Intimations of Spring

The mention of miner's lettuce (claytonia perfoliata) in Jim Dixon's most recent post got me drooling in anticipation of the fleeting green delights to come...favas, pea shoots, spring peas, asparagus and so many more.

We spent our weekend up at the yurt. Spring at the east end of the gorge brings a vivid blast of green to a landscape that’s beautifully muted most of the year. It also means we’ll find the tender, near-succulent leaves of miner’s lettuce, a member of the purslane family, under the clusters of Oregon white oak. Right now they’re more like tiny micro greens, but we still picked enough to add to a simple salad of chopped Romaine drizzled with Madre Terra extra virgin olive oil and a splash of Katz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc vinegar.

But most of the produce available still looks back to the colder months. Along with the salad, we had brussels sprouts.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Coarsely chop a pound or so of brussels sprouts and a walnut-sized shallot. Cook them together in a healthy glug of extra virgin olive oil with a good pinch of sea salt until just tender. Add a splash of good vinegar or a squeeze of lemon or lime.