brussels sprouts

How to Use Stolen Plums to Make Caramelized Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts

16 Nov 2011
Caramelized Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Why would I start a post about Caramelized Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts in a Cider Vinegar Glaze with a William Carlos Williams poem about stealing plums?

Well because I am a part of a group of people who relish in stealing metaphorical plums whenever and wherever we can. And like the plum thief in the these lines above, we are not really sorry when we do. Because it satisfies something in us. Something about us. I feel lucky to know these people. But if it weren't for our shared love of the symbolic plum, we may never have met. And if it weren't for the internet we may have never known the bond we share. The bond that makes us an extended family.

So how does a group of people like this celebrate the plummiest Holiday of them all– Thanksgiving?

Well, with our mouths wide open of course. Because open mouths lead to open hearts. So I was happy to share a little pre-holiday food love with my second family of online plum lovers. We got together to make and share a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving meal. We did it partly to bring you Holiday inspiration. But we gathered together mostly because the ripe plums, "so sweet and so cold", compelled us to.

So make the jump and check out the meal we brought to our Thanksgiving table. Because we hope you are inspired to steal a few plums yourself. GREG

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Caramelized Chestnuts & Brussels Sprouts in a Cider Vinegar Glaze

Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts
By jgreghenry Published November 10, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh chestnuts
  • 4 T unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 pn each kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 c cider vinegar
  • 0.25 c granulated sugar
  • 0.25 c chicken stock

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife or a chestnut knife, cut a large X into the shell of each chestnut on one side. Arrange on a baking pan in a single layer, cut side up. Roast until flesh is tender, and the peels begin to open, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

Using gloved hands if necessary, immediately remove and discard shells from still warm chestnuts, keeping chestnuts whole if possible. Set chestnuts aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts cut sides down; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, shaking the pan once in a while, and turning them over once or twice until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Add roasted chestnuts. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until Brussels sprouts are tender and spotted deep brown, about 15 minutes.They may be made ahead to this point and kept aside at room temperature for several hours. Do not refrigerate or they will get mushy.

Just before serving. Add vinegar, sugar, remaining butter cut into small pieces and stock. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been reduced to a syrup and the vegetables are nicely glazed, 5 or 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, and serve.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Brussels Sprouts: The Video May be a Re-Run But the Chorizo is all New

23 Oct 2011
Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo

It's that time of year. The time when a young man's fancy turns to Brussels sprouts! Mine particularly because I have a particularly scary Brussels Sprouts video I pull out this time of year. Sure it's a re-run. But if I can sit through A Charlie Brown Christmas every year for 40 years you can sit through my Halloween video one more time!

To accompany this video I do have a new recipe though. Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo by Bill Kim of Chicago's Belly Shack. It comes from Lucy Lean's new cookbook Made In America: Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food, and I whole-heartedly recommend both the recipe and the book. Because this recipe proves there are lots of great ways to cook Brussels sprouts.

In this video I am Braising the Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Balsamic. CLICK here for a printable recipe. But Bill Kim's recipe sees the little buggers sauteed in a hot pan and married to something sweet and something spicy. It's this unusual combination of Asian-Latin flavors (including chorizo) that make this recipe so interesting. I recently served it as a first course at a dinner party. But frankly, I'd eat this all on it's own as a meal.  It's an extremely easy preparation, but there are a few tricks. A good hot  pan ensures you’ll get good caramelization on the outside without cooking the insides to a smelly pulp! So make the jump and watch the video.

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Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo

Brussels Sprouts and Chorizo
By jgreghenry Published October 23, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 3 T unsalted butter
  • 1.5 lb brussels sprouts, peeled then quartered
  • 0.333333 lb mexican chorizo
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 0.25 c brown sugar
  • 0.25 c asian fish sauce
  • 0.5 T sambal oelek
  • 0.25 c fresh cilantro leaves
  • 0.25 c crushed tortilla chips

Directions

In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 table spoon of the butter. saute the sprouts in batches over medium-high heat until tender and caramelized. Cool and set aside.

In a small pan, saute the chorizo until cooked through. Strain off the excess oil and cool.

In a small bowl, pour the limejuice over the brown sugar and mix to dissolve. Add the fish sauce and sambal. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water as needed to balance.

Prior to serving, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan. Add the chorizo and saute for 1 minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and heat until warm. Add half the lime-sugar mixture, adding more as needed to taste. To finish, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted.

Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and tortilla chips.

Source: From Bill Kim- Made In America by Lucy Lean

Small Plates Menu: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

29 Dec 2010
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Today is Day 3 in my weeklong series of small plates with wine pairings. The wine is St. Supéry Savignon Blanc and we paired it with a healthy green salad just in time for the New Year. Because eating greens at the New Year is a tradition in my house. According to folklore, greens are a stand-in for money, and the more greens you consume right now, the more cold hard cash will come your way in the New Year.

Now just so you know, the 'green' I have decided to present here is the much maligned Brussels sprout. Because Brussels sprouts, a member of the cabbage family can be enjoyed in more ways than most greens. Roasted, grilled, braised, fried, sautéed and (if you must) boiled.

How about raw Brussels sprouts? Have you ever had them shaved into thin ribbons and served with a citrus vinaigrette?

Are you still with me? I mention this because I know what you are like. Usually I take a bit of time deciding exactly what I am going to call the recipes I present here. I am no dummy and I know that if it sounds delectable (or contains the word chocolate) then you are far more likely to spend a moment reading the words I write and imagining the food I present here.

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