Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Roasting is one of the best ways to prepare Brussels sprouts. Maintaining texture, crunch, and vitamins, this technique always wins out over boiling in tons of water. My neighbor Susan introduced me to this practical preparation when she hosted us for one of her delightful dinners. I added sage and hazelnuts as a variation. I love to save the leftovers to fold into my Sunday morning omelet sprinkled with a little grated, soft white cheese like Munster or Havarti.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half length-wise
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a small saucepan, boil the vinegar until it reduces by half. Set aside. In a large, heavy skillet (cast-iron works nicely) heat the olive oil over high heat. Cook the sage 1-2 minutes until crispy and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper and place cut side down in the skillet.

Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook until the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts take on a dark brown hue without burning (about 3-4 minutes). Place the skillet in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the Brussels sprouts are tender when pierced with a fork. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add hazelnuts, sage, and balsamic, stirring to coat. Serve immediately.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken or Roasted Chicken a la Nicoise or Sauteed Spinach or Sweet Mashed Potatoes .

Wine Pairing

Chardonnay or Pinot Noir