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Brussels sprouts seem to have become a rather neglected vegetable in recent years. Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown perhaps as early as the 13th century, in what is now Belgium. During the 16th century, they enjoyed a popularity in the southern Netherlands that eventually spread throughout the cooler parts of Northern Europe. The rest, as they say, is history.
I don’t recall ever seeing brussels sprouts on a restaurant menu, and most people seem to drop them in a pot of boiling water and forget about them, leaving you with a mushy, slightly bitter vegetable that has been robbed of all its redeeming qualities. Given that Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought I’d toss up my recipe for ‘sprouts in the event somebody is looking for a nice new side dish for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts
1 tbsp garlic
3 strips thick bacon
salt and pepper to taste
a few dashes of balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Clean and prep your sprouts. Cut them in half and discard any gnarly looking outer leaves. Drop them into a pot of boiling water with some lemon juice in it (to preserve the color) and boil until just cooked through.
2. Chop your bacon into little strips (or lardons, as they say in French) and fry until done. I normally like it crispy, but for this dish I still like it to be a bit tender. Up to you, really.
3. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towel. Keep a bit of the bacon fat in the pan (a tablespoon or so should be sufficient).
4. Drain the sprouts and add them to the fat. Add the garlic and fry on a medium heat until the sprouts are slightly browned.
5. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar (to taste) and add the bacon back to the pan so it’s warm. Toss everything together and serve!
