Some say the Brussels trend peaked last year. Still, I cannot get enough of those crispy (almost burnt) leaves, especially when they are tossed in a deliciously sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce.
My brother continued his trend this year at Thanksgiving when he fried a turkey and then fried brussels sprouts in the hot leftover oil. For the second year in a row, I emailed him after Turkey Day to ask for his recipe.
While I love the crunch of nearly burnt sprouts, frying them can be a messy production unless you go the route my brother does. For this reason, I tend to lean towards a more "hands-off" approach and roast Brussels sprouts in the oven. America's Test Kitchen offers that adding cold Brussels sprouts to cold oil eliminates the mess of splatters but achieves the same golden brown sprouts as traditional frying. I gave their method a try and found it to be equally as easy as roasting the spouts.
The bold glaze offers such a burst of flavor, that whether you roast the "tiny cabbages" in the oven or deep fry them, your family will be eating their vegetables tonight.
Ingredients
1 pound of Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and then either halved or quartered
2 serrano chilis, thinly sliced into rounds
3 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoons sriracha
Kosher salt
Prep
To keep the sprouts' leaves intact and attached to their cores, trim just a small amount from the stems before cutting the sprouts in half or quarters. If you choose to wash your sprouts before cooking, do so before trimming and halving them. Once the Brussels sprouts are ready to go, prep the serrano, shallot, and garlic.
The sauce
In a saute pan, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat and briefly saute the minced garlic for a minute or two. Before the garlic turns too brown, add the honey, sugar, lime zest and juice, and the rice vinegar. Whisk this together and simmer for two to three minutes until it slightly thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the siracha, taste and add salt as needed. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
The Brussels - fry option
One option is to fry the Brussels in vegetable oil. Prep a large sheet pan with a few layers of paper towels and bring the kosher salt nearby. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, combine 3 cups of vegetable oil and the sprouts. Cook over high heat, gently stirring until the sprouts are dark brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, lift the sprouts from the oil and transfer to the paper towel-lined sheet pan. Season with salt immediately.
Flash fry the shallot and serrano on their own, carefully watching that they do not burn. Remove to the same paper towel-lined sheet pan with the sprouts as soon as they are crispy.
Toss the vegetables with the sauce in a large bowl right before serving hot.
The Brussels - roast option
Roasting the vegetables in the oven will achieve sprouts that are well-caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, first toss the sprouts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of salt.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray then arrange the sprouts cut side facing down. Scatter the sliced shallot and serrano over the sprouts.
Cover sheet pan tightly with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until Brussels sprouts are well browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes longer.
Toss the vegetables with the sauce in a large bowl right before serving hot.
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