Tasty Tuesday: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter

As you may have seen yesterday, Eric and I made some pretty amazing food over the holidays.  And, while the holidays may be over, I believe it's never too late to share a great recipe.

When we were planning our Christmas meal, we tried to come up with a vegetable side dish that was out of the ordinary for us.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I should probably be embarrassed by this, but I have to admit that Eric and I typically either have a salad (nothing fancy) or some Steamfresh frozen vegetables for a side dish ... So it wasn't that difficult to come up with something "special" for our holiday dinner.

That being said, I'm not sure where the idea to make Brussels sprouts initially came from.  I never really liked them that much (though, to be fair, I'd only had them steamed), and Eric had only eaten them once in his life.  But, for some reason, it just seemed like the perfect complement to the duck breasts we were already planning to make.

I spent some time searching online for the perfect Brussels sprouts recipe (as well as some general information on working with fresh Brussels sprouts), and I came across these caramelized Brussels sprouts with browned butter.

This recipe is unbelievably easy and unbelievably delicious.  I'm serious ... Even if you think you don't like Brussels sprouts, you should try this.  (And I say this as someone who usually hates them!)

I know I shared a few pictures of our Christmas dinner already, but here is a closeup of these delicious Brussels sprouts.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter 

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on A Sweet Life.


Ingredient List:

• 1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp sea salt, divided
• 2 tsp black pepper, divided
• 4 tbsp salted butter (We only had unsalted butter, so Eric salted the butter with approximately 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt as it was browning in the pan.)

Instructions:

1.  Fill a medium bowl with water and place the Brussels sprouts inside.  Allow them to soak for about 10 minutes.

2.  After the 10 minute soak, drain the Brussels sprouts and place them on a cutting board.  Remove any discolored or loose leaves.  Cut off the tough end of the stem, and then slice each sprout in half.

3.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

4.  Lay the Brussels sprouts in the skillet in a single layer, cut side down.  Allow them to cook until browned (about 2-3 minutes).  (You'll want to stay close to the skillet while these cook because this goes pretty fast once you get started!)

5.  After the Brussels sprouts brown on the cut side, quickly flip them over (Eric used tongs to do this, but a spatula would also work well), cover the skillet, and allow the sprouts to cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.  (Again, it's important to keep an eye on them so they don't burn!)

6.  Remove the Brussels sprouts from the skillet, and place them in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle them with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper, and toss gently to combine.

7.  Add the butter to the hot pan, reduce the heat to medium, and let cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until browned and fragrant (if you're working with unsalted butter, remember to add some salt during this cook time).

8.  Drizzle the butter over the Brussels sprouts and add the remaining 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp black pepper.  Toss gently once more to combine.

Eric made this portion of our Christmas dinner, so these instructions came straight from him.  I think he did an amazing job with them, and I can guarantee we'll be adding this recipe to our regular rotation.  I'm so glad we finally have at least one side dish that's not just a salad or frozen vegetables!