It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I might be serving brussels sprouts. I hate brussels sprouts. Like seriously hate them. For years people tried to convince me I just hadn't tried the right recipe.
They were right. Turns out you need to deep fry brussels sprouts and then cover them in sauce. Here's the world's best brussels sprouts recipe. For people who hate brussels sprouts.
Let me bring you all back to an unusually cool night in September of 2016. I was on vacation with family in Tofino, British Columbia. After a day of fall surfing, complete with wetsuits and burning lungs, we all warmed up and headed to a local restaurant that had been recommended.
Shelter. (no, this isn't a sponsored post, the restaurant is a very important character in this mystery)
We weren't sure if we were going to get in because it was packed with other people who probably didn't surf all day and therefore in my mind were not as deserving of food as we were. I stink eyed people who seemed to be lingering over their coffees but they just stink eyed me back. Which I think was very rude and not at all in keeping with stink eye protocol around the world.
When someone gives you the stink eye you recoil in fear and get the hell out of sight. Anyhow. We were finally shown a table at the back of the outdoor patio, where we grabbed our menus and started perusing.
British Columbia surprised me in that I thought there would be a whole lot of vegetarian options in the restaurants there but there weren't. I'm not a vegetarian so I didn't care. I was just surprised. I can't remember what I ordered for my meal that night. I can't remember it one iota. What I can remember is what we ordered as an appetizer. I remember it vividly for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is, I died from it.
There's no other explanation for me liking brussels sprouts. I must be dead.
The exact day I died was September 21st. The day my family outvoted me and ordered deep fried brussels sprouts with a parsley/honey dressing.
Brussels sprouts. I ate them. I loved them. I'm so ashamed.
Here's my history with brussels sprouts in case you don't know.
We left the restaurant, and everyone else resumed their vacation as if nothing had happened. As if the world hadn't split open, as if pigs weren't flying, hell wasn't freezing over and horses weren't growing horns.
I did the only thing I could do; when I got home I did a bit of research, tracked down who the chef at Shelter restaurant was, found his email address and sent him a quick and possibly alarming email.
"HALPPPP. HATE ... LOVE ... YOU ... EAT ... WAHHHHH ... BRUSSELSPROUTS! , NEVERWANNABALSAMICBAKEBARFSOAWFULDEVILHEADACK. SNARFSLNGIEBKIH ... ~ your fan, Karen Bertelsen".
Remarkably, chef Matty Kane, of Shelter restaurant is fluent in Frantic and he knew exactly what I meant in my email. He sent me the recipe right away.
Ingredients
- 100 g apple cider vinegar
- 25 g peeled shallot
- 30 g peeled garlic
- 40 g curly parsley
- 100 g honey
- 50 g olive oil
- 160 g grapeseed oil
- 5 g smooth dijon mustard
- 2 g salt
Instructions
- Use either a blender or a an immersion blender to combine all the dressing ingredients thoroughly.
- Put prepped brussels sprouts into deep fryer set at 350 degrees for 2 minutes.
- Toss with enough apple cider vinaigrette to lightly coat and top with fresh grated parmesan & toasted sourdough breadcrumbs.
- Serve immediately. Seriously. Right away.
Turns out there is a way I like brussels sprouts. I like them if you deep fry them. And I like them if you toss them in a delicious apple cider vinaigrette.
I think it's important to clarify my position on brussels sprouts at this point in time. I like brussels sprouts.
But only when they don't taste like brussels sprouts.
To my Canadian followers, think about having these for Thanksgiving. You can prep the sauce right now and even cook the sprouts a day in advance. Just drop them in the deep fryer again prior to serving for a minute to recrisp them.
Happy Thanksgiving long weekend my fellow Canadians. See you all again on Wednesday with the conclusion of my great floor debacle.
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Linda in Illinois
Memories of being force feed brussel sprouts from a can just boiled on the stove, makes me gag and puke just like when I was force feed them. I never ever had them again my whole life until one day that we were instructed by you to try something new and get out of a rut, well the menu called for fried brussel sprouts and I gingerly tried them. It wasn't bad but mind you I couldn't really taste them either because it had all kinds of other flavors mixed in. I will never buy them or grow them but I'm glad you all do the taste testing for me. Thanks for the memories, gag, gag. LOL !
Sara B
They also don't taste like brussel sprouts in balsamic vinegar! Check out the various recipies with balsamic vinegar and parmasan cheese. Yum.
This was a nice start to my Monday.
#deadalso #lovebrusselsprouts
maggie van sickle
I to used to used to be a hater of Brussel sprouts but I think it all boiled down to the way they were cooked. BOILED! These days people have come up with more tasty and healthier ways to eat them. Now I love them. My favourite way is to shred them and saute in a bit of Olive oil and garlic, s&p, lemon zest and snow peas. Just before serving I squeeze a bit of lemon juice over them. Yum! I will however try your way for sure Karen. It is a beautiful day here on Buckhorn Lake. Hope you are enjoying your day.
Jenifer
WTH?? Next thing you know, you'll be telling us that you love sunflowers! As if Mondays aren't hard enough!
What.is.this.world.coming.to?
I'm going back to bed...
Manisha
I swooned and died a little when I had Brussels sprouts with honey and bacon. Never before in my life had I had such a tasty treat. I feel ya, sister!
Manisha
In case I wasn't clear: add some bacon to the recipe!!!!
Angie
I hate them as well. Actually I hate them cooked as they are okay raw in the salad mix someone mentioned above (I hate kale too). I can't stand any form of cooked cabbage/little green brains. The stench of them cooking just gags me. Also the awful smell of sauerkraut. Shudder. That's why my wonderful husband goes to his mother's place for cabbage rolls (I ate one once to be polite but that was the end of it) and my mother loads him up with homemade sauerkraut to eat when I'm not here.
Marilyn
Any way,any time. I love sprouts.
Heather MacDonald
Making this tonight. :) Thanks.
Karen
You're welcome. I think. I hate to increase the popularity of this awful little ball of green, but ... I think you'll like it! ~ karen!
Mindy
I would just like to say, told ya so.
Jeanie Burch
I LOVE brussel sprouts and this sounds delicious!
Joanne
It was a weird week, and I'm wondering, Karen, if you, by any chance, might be a Cubs fan? Because millions of us also think we died in the last week. Or perhaps you're a supporter of rugby, and saw that the Irish National Team beat Australia (while playing in Chicago) for the first time in 118 years? Millions of Ireland supporters think they've also died and gone to heaven.
It was a weird week. I'm glad you tried something new and liked it.... but like the Cubs, and Ireland, there is no need to rush to repeat this occurrence. Once every 100 years or so sounds about right for (1) Ireland beating the All Blacks, (2) Cubs winning the World Series and (3) Karen tasting and liking a brussel sprout!
Karen
I'm not a Cubs fan in general, but I was a HUGE fan last week, lol. I was really, really rooting for them and that last game of the series was unbelievable. It was such an exciting last hour and I was jumping up and down thrilled for the Cubs. :) ~ karen!
Leticia
Hey, Joanne - just a tiny little defense of New Zealand from a Brazilian that knows next to nothing about rugby. The All Blacks are from New Zealand, not Australia. :) It's almost the same to both of us, but not to them, I'll bet. It sounded strange to me, but I had to google it myself to be sure. Kudos to Ireland, by the way.
Leslie in Hampton
Shamefully I like those little sprouts so this sounds really good to me. Mmmm I might just try this.
KariMcD
Right there with ya girlfriend. BUT, there's a restaurant in my neighborhood called Stock and Barrel....they make this same dish. And though both my DH and I loathe the nasty little buggers, we eat these like we are stoners with a fresh bag of Lays potato chips. Oh. So. Good!
Karen
LOL! ~ karen
Mary W
Anything is possible - just look at our election. No - DO NOT look, it will make you think brussel sprouts are delicious in comparison. LOL I never want to think it possible that I am not afraid of spiders and could actually let one crawl on me - that scares me to death. I do not want to get over this stupid fear so I can understand your fear of possibly liking the devil sprout. Fried and drenched is a good coverup for sprouts but even then, it would not be possible to get me to try spiders. So glad you tried them. I try to taste any new food just in case it is something I will love but of course, not a spider. You are brave!
Christie
Whoa... I also hate brussel sprouts, but am willing to give this one a try. However, I do not have a deep fryer - and am not going to get one, because who are we kidding? I'd make french fries ALL THE TIME!
So do you toss the sprouts in the vinaigrette before roasting? Or after?
Karen
Always dress anything you want to get crispy through roasting or frying after, Christie. Otherwise they won't get crispy ~ karen!
Christie
Okay - great! But a little olive oil to roast?
Ev Wilcox
One of us...one of us...one of us....We got her! Yay!
Karen
Am not am not am not! ~ karen
Beckie
I would think (hope?) somewhere under one of your sprout-hate posts I would have said something like: "Keep trying, there's probably 1 way you will like them."
It stood to reason since you like everything else in that veggie family.
Cecelia
Noooo, Karen! You haven't LIVED until you have eaten deep-fried Brussels sprouts!!!
jainegayer
You crack me up but I still HATE brussel sprouts!
Karen
Good for you. Me too, lol. Well other than this one recipe. ~ karen!
Nicole
I too do not like brussel sprouts and married into a family that happily eats them weekly. Even the three year old who whines all day. I did start eating them in a superfoods salad kit last year that I and everyone I know got addicticted too. You'll have seen it in all of the grocery stores, Walmart, Costco. They've been taken to the mandolin and mixed with kale and whatever else so they're barely distinguishable. What you did was eat brussel sprouts on they're own when they still looked like Brussels sprouts so you should be able to handle them shaved in a salad.
Lois Baron
The only way to make brussel sprouts less desirable is to mix them with kale, which is I hate, hate, hate, regardless of how popular it gets.
I think brussel sprouts are cute--they look like miniature cabbages and miniatures of anything are cute.
And I'm willing to try Karen's recipe. I liked tofu once, when it was deep fried.