I've recently renewed my committment to Brussels sprouts. I've always loved them, but never made them as often as I have in the past month or two. Maybe it's because I'm holed up in Connecticut, where the wind whips off the pond and winter seems endless. (It snowed, sleeted and hailed this morning!) Or maybe it's because Brussels sprouts are so delicious, especially when paired with something salty - bacon; something sweet - maple syrup; and something that's a bit of both - grainy mustard.
When I first started making B-sprouts and bacon, I cooked the sprouts in a little broth, but now I give them a quick steaming before I turn them around - stir-fryish style - in hot oil. It takes the same amount of time, but I feel like I've got more control over the dish. Not that cooking it a little more or a little less will make a big diff. You can file this recipe under forgiving. And play-aroundable. Before you add the Brussels sprouts to the pan, you can saute a chopped onion, or a couple of shallots, and a few cloves of garlic. You can swap the maple syrup for balsamic vinegar, honey or brown sugar, in which case you may or may not want to ditch the mustard (I wouldn't). If you have leftovers, you can sliver the sprouts and toss them into a salad. I eat them cold, just as they are - sometimes with a squirt of lemon juice - but then I eat cold Chinese food for breakfast (pizza too). You can chop them, give them a quick re-heat and pile them on top of mashed sweet potato (you can do that with the freshly made Brussels sprouts and call the whole thing dinner).
I'm going to try to use the leftovers in a ricotta quiche - I'll keep you posted.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON, MAPLE SYRUP AND MUSTARD
Serves 2 to 4 (depending on what you're doing with the dish)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half from top to bottom
3 to 6 strips meaty bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grainy mustard (or Dijon), or more to taste
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Set up a steamer. Salt the water in the steamer and season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper. Steam the sprouts until the tip of a small knife can easily poke but not completely pierce them, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sprouts and set them aside. If you do this ahead of time, dunk the Brussels sprouts in ice water (or run cold water over them) to stop the cooking and dry them.
While the sprouts are steaming, cook the bacon in a large saute or wok-shaped pan. When the bacon is crisp, drain it between a triple thickness of paper towels, then coarsely chop the strips.
Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high and, when the oil is shimmering, add the Brussels sprouts. Cook, turning a few times, until the sprouts are charred here and there and cooked crisp-tender. Lower the head to medium and stir in 1 tablespoon of mustard followed by 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, taste and add more mustard and/or syrup, if you'd like.
Serve NOW!
via:http://doriegreenspan.com/2014/03/brussels-sprouts-bacon-maple-syrup-mustard-while-the-weathers-still-cool.html
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