RECIPE | BALSAMIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS

I've always been highly skeptical of Brussels Sprouts, probably because they've got such a bad reputation as stinky, gas-inducing, mushy tiny cabbages. However, the magic of the internet has since turned my mind to hope. I keep coming across pins of recipes mixing roast Brussels Sprouts with bacon and was finally inspired to give it a try myself. I bought a bag of fresh sprouts at Trader Joe's and decided my best bet was to do Balsamic Brussels Sprouts since that's one of my favorite flavors. 

The instructions on the bag included a little pro-tip: the best way to cook these is to blanche them. I had no idea what blanching was, so I did a little Google research and figured out how to do it. I can now state without a shadow of a doubt, the ONLY way to cook these is to blanche them first. Blanching made a remarkable difference in the texture and flavor of these things. 

Here's what I used:

Brussels Sprouts

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt

Here's what I did:

Step one) Trim the stalks of the Brussels Sprouts (but not too closely, otherwise the leaves will all come apart).

Step two) Boil a large pot of salted water and add the sprouts. Boil for five to ten minutes or until you are able to insert a fork into the center of the Brussels sprout with a little bit of resistance. Like so:

Step three) Use a slotted spoon to transfer the Brussels Sprouts from the boiling water into an ice bath. Leave them in the ice bath for about ten or twenty seconds. This brings the cooking process to a complete stop so that you can now roast your veggies until crispy in the oven without them getting mushy and/or overcooked. 

Step four) After removing the Brussels Sprouts from the ice bath, slice them in half along the spine of the outer most leaf (this keeps them from losing a bunch of leaves). Toss them with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (I applied the Balsamic liberally and I ended up pleased with the decision).  Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I kept a close eye on them to make sure they didn't burn from the balsamic. 

And miracle of miracles: they came out crispy on the outside with a flavor that was a little nutty, slightly bitter, and overall highly pleasing. I will be playing with new recipes for these all winter! I am henceforth converted to a Brussels Sprouts fan-girl. Can't wait to try them with bacon. 

Sarah