Brussels Sprouts with Pecans & Dried Cranberries

by Peter on Oct.06, 2009, under vegetables

Brussel-Sprouts-3112

It seems to be a universal truth that kids hate brussels sprouts and who can blame them, especially if they were all served like my parents served them; cooked to death then drizzled with vinegar. It’ no wonder that many of us ever outgrow that hatred. That’s too bad because brussels sprouts can be a wonderful vegetable. Sure, overcooked they can be mushy, slimy and sulfurous, but when cooked properly they have a wonderful earthy quality about them and just a hint of a sharp bite that makes them lively.

While many people still prefer to blanch them whole, or cut them in half and blanch them, before giving them a quick saute in butter, I prefer to pull them apart so that each leaf is its own individual. I then saute the raw leaves and finish them by steaming them with a little liquid. Sure it is a little more time consuming this way, but I like the resulting texture and flavor cooking brussel sprouts this way.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans & Dried Cranberries
1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
2 slices Bacon, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Pecans, toasted
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
1/3 cup Madeira (Sherry works great also)
Salt
Pepper

Core and peel apart the brussels sprouts. Thinly slice the tight centers of the brussels sprouts. In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium high heat. When brown and crispy remove from pan and pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of bacon fat. Add the butter to the skillet and allow to melt. When the foaming subsides add the the brussels sprouts and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer, continuing to stir. Toss in the dried cranberries and the Madeira. Continue to cook until the Madeira as reduced to almost dry and the brussels sprouts are tender. Add the pecans and cooked bacon. Season with salt and pepper and serve. This serves 4 as a side vegetable.

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4 Comments for this entry

Gloria
October 7th, 2009 on 6:02 am
Wow Peter, your recipe sounds wonderful. I like brussel sprouts but when I make them it always seems like they are missing something. I’m book marking your web site so I will be checking it out to see what’s new.

See ya on Flickr.
Gloria
Peter
October 7th, 2009 on 6:33 am
Thanks Gloria. I had never been a big fan of brussels sprouts until I started peeling them apart, now they are one of my favorite fall vegetables.
Elcoj
October 8th, 2009 on 5:58 am
Hi, Not sure that this is true:), but thanks for a post.
lo
October 8th, 2009 on 8:22 am
LOVE the humble brussels sprout!
First time I fed them to my sprout-hating DH, I used this technique, and it totally won him over. So, I’ll stand behind you on this one!

These days, we usually brown them in butter (or bacon fat) and finish them off by braising in a bit of beer. Also stellar!

Great to find another local blogger! Fond du Lac needs more foodies like you so that they can hang onto some decent restaurants up there (all my favorites seem to close).