Who can remember as a child staring at a plate of steamed Brussels sprouts and being told by your mother not to get up from the dinner table until they were gone? And then sitting there dreading the agony of the watery, mushy, tasteless torture about to be relentlessly forced upon your poor innocent soul when you would just as soon crawl under the table and disappear before eating those Brussels sprouts. Well, its time my friends for revenge! Reparations paid to all my fellow rebels out there with the memories of being fed bad food in the name of good health.
These are not your mama’s Brussels sprouts. This is what nature intended when it made these mini cabbages on a stick. Yes, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are damn good for you, but they can taste damn good as well, with the right technique. This weeks recipe is all about using aromatics like shallots and garlic to create a renaissance of deep flavors and textures. Shallots are like the garlic of the onion family and are very intense in flavor. You are going to love it. Let’s cook!
Oven caramelized Brussels sprouts
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 1 medium shallot about a palm size
- 5 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp Smoked salt
- 1/2 tsp Paprika ( use smoked paprika if you don’t have smoked salt)
- 3 tbsp Avocado oil
- Stockpot or large saute pan
- Baking sheet or pan lined with parchment paper
Method: makes 4 servings
- Turn on oven to 350
- Trim the ends off Brussels sprouts and cut them in half
- Peel then thinly slice the Shallot
- Peel then slice the garlic in half lengthwise then again lengthwise to make 4 long slices out of each clove
- Put everything including the spices and oil in the stock pot or saute pan and sweat (cook) on the stove top for 3 minutes stirring often
- Spread everything out onto the parchment lined pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until it develops a color like in the picture
