Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and parmesan
The Story
I know brussels sprouts aren’t for everyone. I recognize they are extremely polarizing. But let’s be real. The biggest cruciferous haters tend to associate their aversion to this misunderstood group of vegetables with a sad, grey, stinky, and watery side dish that’s been boiled and thrown together without much consideration. With good reason, they inevitably push them around their plate until the whole group gives in and doesn’t make them eat anymore.
However, if you ditch the boiling method and bring even just a couple of flavor boosters to the conversation, brussels sprouts are a whole new ball game. When you give this golf ball-looking green alien thing a bit of care, even the pickiest eaters will fall in love them. I combine brussels sprouts with all kinds of things like soy, sesame oil, spices, and anything else that piques my interest in my cupboard, but this version tends to be my favorite. It’s simple, and comes together in just around a half hour, making them perfect for a weeknight side dish, toss them alongside a protein like my pan-roasted chicken thighs, or even better keep it vegetarian, and add them to my brown rice bowl with a fried egg and vegetables.
No matter what you decide to add to yours, the key to building a good base flavor is getting some deep-roasted flavor in them. Since they’re rounded on one side, I make sure to meticulously turn each one over so that the flat side is touching the sheet pan. Toss them mid-way through the cooking process, adding in some nuts and vinegar, and finish them by topping them off with nutty parmesan and a sneaky surprise ingredient I like to throw in there when I have some on hand.
Difficulty: 1 on a scale of 1-5
Active time to prepare: 5 minutes
Total time to prepare: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
The Ingredients
2 lb./1 kilo brussels sprouts cut in half, bruised outer leaves removed
1/4 cup/54 g olive oil
1 tsp./2 g red chili flakes
1 1/2 tsp./3 g salt
1/2 tsp./1 g cracked black pepper
3 Tbsp./45 g balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp./15 g honey
3 Tbsp./45 g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup/45 g grated parmesan cheese
1/2 inch/1.3 cm horseradish peels and grated, OR 1 tsp./2g prepared horseradish like this one from A Taste of Home in Barcelona
The Recipe
Preheat the oven to 220° C/425° F.
Toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper until even coated.
Place them on a large baking sheet in one layer, ensuring that all of the flat-cut sides are touching the surface of the sheet tray.
Combine the balsamic vinegar and honey. Set aside.
Roast the brussels sprouts for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and honey mixture. Top with the hazelnuts.
Return the tray to the oven and roast until golden brown and tender (another 15 minutes approx.).
Assembly:
Before serving, top the brussels sprouts with the grated parm and horseradish.
DO AHEAD: The brussels sprouts can be roasted a day in advance. Reheat in the oven and mix with parm and horseradish before serving.
LEFTOVERS: The brussels sprouts will stay good in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days.
