Brussels Sprouts with Dates, Walnuts, and Lemon
This Brussels sprouts dish is both sweet and savory, with a topping inspired by walnut-stuffed dates.
By Yankee Magazine|Dec 14 2021|
Brussels Sprouts with Dates, Walnuts, and Lemon
Photo Credit: Brian Samuels | Styling by Catrine KeltySenior food editor Amy Traverso made up this dish from scratch, but it was partly inspired by a sweet Thanksgiving treat her mom taught her how to make as a kid. They’d take walnut halves and stuff them inside dates, then roll the dates in coconut to serve as after-dinner nibbles. (It was the height of 1980s sophistication, you may recall.) Here, she paired the dates and walnuts with caramelized Brussels sprouts and lemon. It’s a terrific combination.
Yield:
8 servings
Ingredients
4 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 cup chopped pitted dates
Zest of 2 medium lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped walnuts
Juice of 1 medium lemon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Set 2 large (18-by-13-inch) rimmed baking sheets on the racks to preheat along with the oven.
In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with the dates, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. When the baking sheets are hot, divide the mixture among them, turning the Brussels sprouts cut-side down (they should sizzle when they hit the metal). Transfer the pans to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the pans from the oven and scatter the walnut pieces over all. Return the pans to the oven so that the pan that was on the lower rack is now on top (and vice versa). Roast until the Brussels sprouts are nicely browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over all and toss to coat.
What do you do with the date, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper combo? Does it go in the oven with the Brussels sprouts? I tried that and the dates burned…
Do you *only* put the Brussels sprouts in the oven to roast, and then add them back to the mixture afterwards?