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.