This is the recipe for vegephobes, for the folks (like me?) that do not otherwise care for Brussels sprouts.
We are participating in the Food Basket CSA this winter and this was in our first basket. I’m not a fan of Brussels sprouts but I’d also never had them fresh before. So we decided to try this.
Get the following together:
- Brussels sprouts, approx. 1 quart (must be fresh)
- 2 strips of streaky bacon (hickory smoked if you got it, add more if you want it)
- 1 cooking apple, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- nutmeg to taste
Cut the bacon up into bite-sized slices and throw it into a big pan and start the sizzling on moderate heat. When the bacon has released its fat, toss in the butter and the sprouts (make sure to have de-stemmed the sprouts). Cook the sprouts down for about 5-10 minutes; they should be a little bit browned. Then add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Give it a good stirring and reduce the heat down to low; simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add the apple bits and simmer for about another five minutes. Serve hot.
So good your one-year-old will be signing for more.
Full disclosure: this recipe is based on one from The Bacon Cookbook
; I’ve changed mine up a bit to add the apples later (otherwise they’ll get a bit too mushy).
Image credit: Brussels Sprouts by Barbara L. Hanson (on Flickr); sadly, we ate our Brussels sprouts too quickly to photograph the meal.
