Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Recipe at a Glance

1 lb Brussels sprouts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, optional

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes
Utensil/bowl use: minimal – skillet, cutting board, knife, stirring spoon, measuring spoon
Serve for: an easy, healthy side dish

The first time I made Brussels sprouts, I tried steaming them. Steaming has got to be the easiest way to prepare vegetables and I have often used it to cook crunchy, tough vegetables like broccoli and carrots. It works beautifully for them. But not for Brussels sprouts. When I steamed them I got wilty green sacks of veggie goo. These sprouts did not make a good first impression.

However, I kept trying. I knew that I could make Brussels sprouts work for me. When my grocery store happened to have a huge pile of bright green, freshly picked sprouts, it was time. Roasting is my second favorite way to cook vegetables (and second only because of the added fat) so I scoured the internet for the perfect roasted Brussels sprouts recipe.

I found this recipe from Mark Bittman and thought that it would be perfect, with a minor change here and there. Indeed it was perfect. The Brussels sprouts were nicely crisped on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. They looked a little burned, but somehow Brussels sprouts don’t take on the overly bitter flavor that other burned greens can get. Instead, the leaves were crispy and savory, a fantastic compliment to the tender centers.

Simple ingredient list: about a pound of sprouts, several cloves of garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (optional). Oh, and salt to taste. I often forget to take a picture of the salt.

First, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

I am not sure if this is the best way to do this, but to clean my sprouts, I first chop off the ends

and then soak them in water for a few minutes. It works pretty well for me.

For this recipe, cut each sprout in half along its length.

Just like this. There will be a pile of outer leaves that will have fallen off but don’t worry about those. Just cook them mixed in with the sprouts. They will become little chips when cooked.

Heat about 4 tbs of olive oil on medium in a skillet. The oil should thinly cover the bottom of the pan. You want the oil to be shimmery and warm but not smoking. Bittman recommends using a cast iron skillet and I happen to agree with the recommendation. However, I don’t happen to have one of those so I used a regular skillet instead. The larger the skillet, the better here, too. Here I happened to use my 10 inch skillet and it worked just fine.

Gently spoon sprouts into hot oil, trying to place cut sides down into the oil. I was not very particular about this step as you can see.

Add several cloves of garlic to the skillet during the frying stage.

Lightly salt and pepper if desired.

Cook the sprouts for about 5 minutes undisturbed until they become lightly browned. Once browned, put the skillet into the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes.

The sprouts should be quite brown and crispy.

If you want, drizzle 1-2 tbs of balsamic vinegar over the sprouts. While the addition of vinegar is quite tasty, I happen to like them just as much without.

Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash, trim and cut sprouts in half lengthwise.

Add oil to a large oven safe skillet or cast iron pan. The oil should just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat oil on medium until it shimmers, should only take about a minute. Place sprouts cut side down into the pan taking care not to let the oil spray. Add garlic cloves, and salt and pepper if desired. Fry the sprouts in the oil for about 5 minutes until they start to brown.

Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Cook for about thirty minutes until sprouts are well browned and crispy on the outside. Occasionally shift the sprouts to keep them from sticking.

When done, add more salt and pepper if desired. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top of the sprouts if using.