I realize this may be a hard, if not impossible sell, but you gotta believe me — I didn’t like them, either.
Thing is, I was hoodwinked. There I was, eating my perfectly cooked slices of pork tenderloin at Frenchie, Paris’ restaurant-of-the-moment, and I noticed that my pork was sitting on top of something completely delicious. I pushed my fork around to uncover the mystery.
Brussels sprouts!
I don’t even like these, I said to Xavier, as I took another bite. But these, I said, these are something else – incredible! Then I finished them up, just like that.
They were grilled, or roasted (it was dark), but whatever they were, I was, right then and there, a convert. But did I run out and buy them? Nooooo. I’d planned to, really. But somehow I never got around to it. Then I kind of forgot about them.
Fast forward a couple of months.
Truth is, I was thinking about broccoli, and I went into the Franprix looking specifically for broccoli, which would go nicely with the roast chicken, I thought. But they didn’t have broccoli; they had, instead, heaps of Brussels sprouts, for the crazy price of 1.28 euros. You can’t buy anything in Paris for 1.28 euros.
I don’t need to be hit over the head. Brussels sprouts, it would be. I would roast them, like Frenchie did, but on my trusty comal. I figured some lardons roasted hazelnuts would be nice, so I picked up some on my way to the cash register. Seemed like a vinaigrette with grainy mustard would be a perfect complement to the sweety-nutty thing that I had going on, with the salty lardons (small, chunky cubes of bacon), too, adding another twist.
Xavier sat down and said, I really don’t like these, and then, after he and I both had seconds, he finished what was left in the bowl as he did the dishes.
The Brussels sprouts were caramelized and slightly sweet, but had an overall roasted flavor, and with just a hint of bitterness, which was really lovely, and not unlike the taste of radicchio, I thought. Also, after about 10 minutes, these little babies soaked up some of the vinaigrette, which I really liked. Whooboy, I’m gushing, aren’t I?
Try this, and let me know what you think. If you don’t have lardons, no big deal. Substitute ham, bacon, or chorizo. They’ll all work just fine. Keep it in the pork family. Oink on.
Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Lardons
INGREDIENTS
½ to 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, cut in halves
8 ounces lardons, bacon or ham cubes
4 ounces hazelnuts
1 recipe E-Z Dijon vinaigrette, (recipe follows)
sea salt
pepper
WHAT YOU DO
1. On a comal or in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, roast the hazelnuts, let cool and remove skins with a kitchen towel. If the skins don’t come off, simply re-roast them, and try again.
2. Put a medium pot of salted water onto boil. When the water’s boiling, blanch the Brussels Sprouts for about 1 minute. Remove and let drain in a colander.
3. Cook the bacon, lardons, or warm up the ham in a skillet. Set aside.
4. On the comal or cast-iron skillet, place the Brussels Sprouts, flat-side down, and cook until roasted. Flip to the other side, and cook a bit more, and when both sides are roasted, put them in a bowl along with the hazelnuts and lardons.
5. Drizzle with the Dijon vinaigrette, toss and serve. This is nice warm, and the little Brussels Sprouts love to soak up a bit of the vinaigrette, so they’re a bit sweet and roasty at the same time.
E-Z Dijon Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon shallots, minced
1 teaspoon fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil, parseley, chopped
salt
pepper
⅔ cup olive oil
WHAT YOU DO
1. Put everything but the olive oil in a jar (I always use old jam jars for my dressings) and shake until combined.
2. Add oil, shake again, taste, and adjust for seasonings if necessary.
