Monday, January 16, 2012

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

Thought I would share a recipe that several people have asked me for after trying these at my house.  I know that my husband always thought he didn't like brussel sprouts until I started to make them this way.  Now, he would eat them every night of the week if I made them that often.

First things first, do yourself a favor & buy some FRESH brussel sprouts.  Take a small amount off the bottom, remove any outside leaves that still look dirty after washing, and cut them in half.  For this recipe, I'm guessing I used about a pound of sprouts, but I didn't weigh them first.

Place them in an oven safe saute pan, add a Tablespoon or two of Olive Oil, some salt and pepper.  Preheat your oven to 375 F.
 
  



Turn the heat up to Medium Hi, almost Hi and toss them around ever minute or so, just not constantly.  You want your sprouts to get some browning/caramelization going on them.


 When the sprouts have some nice browning on them and start to stick to the pan a little, it's time to deglaze the pan. 


 Add a little bit of water to the pan & toss around your spouts a bit (or use a spoon).  For a batch this size you really don't want to use more than 1/4 cup of water.  You really don't want to make the sprouts soggy.  Most of the water should steam off instantly really leaving no water in the pan (like in above picture).


 Place the pan in your preheated oven and let them finish cooking for about 20 minutes. 


This is how mine looked after they came out of the oven last night.  They usually turn out a little brighter, so I'm thinking I got a touch too much water in my pan.  They were still good & we had no leftovers, so they must have been acceptable.  My daughter has even decided that she likes sprouts from time to time.  My son is still working on it...

Hope you all enjoy this easy side dish.  Give them a try, you just might like it!  You can put a little more olive oil on them before you serve them & adjust the salt & pepper to your taste.  I'm looking forward to hearing your comments & questions!


5 comments:

The Dunns said...

Yum! I want to try this on my brussel sprout-reluctant family! Have you tried deglazing with wine or stock or seasoning with dried herbs? I'm going to keep my eyes open for brussel sprouts next time I'm out!

Catherine said...

Now is the time of the year to find them, Holly. The German markets are really good about carrying them when they are in season. Go check Globus. I have not deglazed with wine or stock only because you use so little liquid. White wine might work nicely, but only use a little bit & not over gas heat because you will probably flambe them because the pan is so hot. Herbs area always good. My family just doesn't like them on these. Occasionally I also add a little onion.

The Dunns said...

Made them today and they were delicious! Ezra is still snacking on them (even after eating dinner and dessert). Much better than the way brussel sprouts are normally prepared! Thanks!

The Dunns said...

Oh, and I found them locally grown in the Commissary. Good stuff!

Catherine said...

Glad you found some local & you all liked them!