Brussels Sprouts with Sautéed Shallots
One taste of the crisp-edged beauty and crunch of a properly-cooked Brussels sprout and you’ll want to eat them over and over.
With just five ingredients, these tasty veggies are the perfect fall side dish.
Photo Credit : Amy TraversoBrussels sprouts have recently eclipsed kale as the go-to cold weather vegetable of the moment. For many, this is a revelation. Too many of us grew up eating overcooked Brussels sprouts, with a texture that managed to be simultaneously mushy and dry. One taste of the crisp-edged beauty and crunch of a properly-cooked sprout and you’ll want to eat them over and over. And they’re awfully easy to prepare. You can roast, fry, and sauté them, all with great results, as long as you keep an eye on the cooking time. But there is one caveat: while nearly eighty percent of the sprouts grown in this country are funneled to the frozen food market, it’s almost impossible to properly brown a Brussel sprout that has been frozen. They’re simply too water-logged. So buy fresh (or save the frozen ones for soups, or to sauce and glaze).
Yield:
4 to 6 servingsIngredients
1 tablespoon salt, plus more as needed
1 pound large Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, then add the sprouts. Cook until they just begin to soften but are still firm, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size. Transfer to a colander, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Drain sprouts.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and stir. Lay Brussels sprouts, cut-side-down, among the shallots. Cook, stirring as little as possible, until the Brussels sprouts brown on the cut side, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt, if needed. Serve hot.
