I had never eaten Brussels sprouts (cos they weren’t available back in India) until about year back when I ordered them at restaurant as a side. I instantly loved them! That said, had I been force fed them as a kid I probably wouldn’t have liked them…but tasting them as an adult with more appreciation for vegetables I really liked them. They were just like mini cabbages…and I happen to like cabbage too. I know… weird right!?
Anyway, so I got excited about my new found vegetable and starting trying them in all forms…frozen, steam-able, fresh, shaved raw…and so on. Come to find out….I wasn’t a fan of the frozen nor the steamed versions of these sprouts. The texture to me was extremely off putting. I like my veggies to have a bite to them and not get soggy when you cook them. So I only buy them fresh now when they’re in season…and roasted is my favorite way to cook them!
I made this super simple recipe as a side on Thanksgiving and because of the lack of space in the oven I decided roasted them in a cast iron skillet on stove top. No one would have guessed they weren’t roasted in the oven. They turned out beautifully tender with just the right amount of bite to it and also got lovely roasted brown bits all over, especially the leaves that fall off when you cut them in halves. Don’t toss those wayside leaves away, cos they’re the best part of the dish as they get crispy and delicious in the pan, adding to the texture of the dish.
If you like Brussels Sprouts…this a must try recipe. It’s ridiculously easy too. Just halve your sprouts, make your sauce, crisp ‘em up, and drizzle it over the top! Here’s the step-by-step recipe…
- 1 lb Brussels Sprouts, preferably fresh
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper according to taste
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries & Glazed Walnuts/ Pecans
- 3/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- To make the Balsamic drizzle, add the balsamic vinegar and honey to a sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil while stirring.
- Turn the heat down to low and let the balsamic vinegar reduce to half its volume (about 10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- The sauce will slowly get to a syrupy consistency and coat the spoon. That's when you know it's done. Turn the heat off and set the sauce aside to cool. It'll thicken up even more once it cools down.
- While the sauce is reducing, clean and halve your brussels sprouts. To clean, I just trim the hard stalks and remove any leaves with dirt on them (although I keep some leaves that fall off because they get extra crispy and delicious while sautéing them). Toss them in a bowl.
- Drizzle the halved brussels sprouts with olive oil and generously season them with salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Heat a well seasoned large cast iron pan, then add the sprouts (I did them in 2 batches so as to not overcrowd the pan), cut side down and sauté them on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes to crisp up. Then turn the heat down and stir them around, to cook for another 10 minutes or so until they are tender, but still have a little bite to them ( well, that's how I like 'em, you can cook it longer if you like them more tender).
- Garnish the dish with some dried cranberries and glazed walnuts (available in the salad isle of most stores), or add dried cranberries and pecans ...whatever you like for that extra texture and nuttiness.
- Lastly, drizzle over some of that balsamic glaze and serve hot! Enjoy!
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I LOVE brussel sprouts. They also roast fabulously in the over – and then I dont need to keep a close eye on them. Spred out on a pan at around 400 and let em go.
Agreed! Oven roasting is my favorite way to cook them. This was during Thanksgiving however, and due to lack of oven space I needed a stove top way to roast them 🙂