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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nancy
Everybody's talking about brussel sprouts and I think "hold up dam girl you went surfing??? In a wet suit??" You throw that out so casually. Did pink pedicure tool belt go also? Betty???
Karen
LOL. Yep. Surfing. SO much fun. And SO hard. And no, Betty wasn't on the trip otherwise I'm sure she would have surfed. ;) ~ karen!
Kelly
Well, thanks Karen, I have to run out an buy a deep fryer, right NOW. Since civilization might end tomorrow...I don't want to go to my grave without trying these!
Last Supper here I come!
Nancy Blue Moon
You know what they say sister..."Never say never"...lol
Rachel
I must tell you that your post warms the cockles of my heart as an avid brussels sprout fan. Sprouts have been slandered wrongly by many poor cooks over the years, thank you for sharing the recipe! Also, I can't help but tell you how delighted I am by your blog! Your writing reminds me of Dory (from Finding Nemo, aka my spirit animal) so much especially this: "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 almost choked on my wine! Thank you for sharing your life!
SusanR
I love brussels sprouts, so long as there is real butter to be melted upon them, because, like many other foods, the little sprouts make an excellent butter delivery system. I'm glad you found a way that you enjoy them. I was surprised, but not shocked. There's generally some preparation method that makes just about anything palatable, if not downright yummy.
Anyone who can handle cabbage really shouldn't have a problem with brussels sprouts, but we all have our own taste buds and noses and we are honor bound to listen to them regarding foods to include and exclude from our diets.
connie
I'm going to try your recipe too Karen , they sound delish! The ONLY other way i like 'em is to steam lightly and then toss with butter, jerk seasoning, curry powder, brown sugar and garlic -Yumm ;)
Kim
I hated the mushy little cabbage looking things that my mother served when I was a kid, so as an adult, refused to even try eating them again. Then my daughter made a dish where diced onions and pancetta were sauteed in olive oil. Removed those, then brussels sprouts were fried hot an fast in that lovely flavored oil, all of it mixed back together then drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. LOVED THEM!!!!!
MARILYN JOHNSON
Karen,
Would you please translate the measurements? :)
Amanda
I love brussels sprouts! Some year when I'm not too lazy I'm going to give it a try growing them in the garden. Some year.
KATHLEEN HARTZELL
Hysterically funny.....I did my senior thesis on the soils of San Mateo County, CA where these really petit choux grow....and spent many days in a farmer'/ fields mapping, photographing, etc for the project. One day he intercepted me as I was returning to my little VW bug and mentioned that he had put some "produce" in my car....
I found the entire back seat and passenger seat filled with the long stems of sprouts, a sight most people who weren't out in the fields had not yet seen....markets only sold them already shorn from the stalk. I returned to my parents' home where my mother insisted I go up and down the street to give away these demon vegetables. It was humiliating....and I think people only obliged because they had never seen them on the stalk, and took pity on a girl forced to hand out Brussels sprouts in her childhood neighborhood.
I never ate another until my husband and our vegan kid produced a steamed then grilled with balsamic version that was absolutely divine.
I got a good review on the thesis, but then I did not push the stalks of sprouts on any of my faculty!!!
Stephanie
In your defense, I suspect that recipe would make shoe-leather shavings taste delicious. Which means that if it made the dreaded brussels sprouts deceptively yummy it would make some other, actually palatable vegetable, even more delicious. I think you were duped by a good marinade.
Standing firmly in the "over my dead body" corner where brussels sprouts are concerned.
Babs
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with balsamic reduction and candied peppered bacon, 'nuff said, mic drop
Penny
sounds delicious!
Heather
I have only liked brussel sprouts once and they were deep fried. They are still the devils food but deep fried... they can stay. On another note any chance you can provide the Yorkshire pudding recipe?
Melissa
Karen, I'm so pleased you found a preparation method for B-Sprouts that you enjoy. It does sound good, so I will give it a try. As long as they're not boiled, I tend to like them... Now, on to my November list of getting ready for Christmas!
Darla
Printed the recipe, but I am still skeptical about those green things!
I'll have to work out the nerve to try it.
Valerie
Here's an alternate idea for this vegetable:
Wash the sprouts well. Sit at the kitchen table with a sharp paring knife removing the end and deflower the sprouts one at a time. When you have a bowl of deflowered sprouts you can drizzle on your favourite vinaigrette and add grated parmesan cheese on top.
No cooking here which I think probably creates the strong taste usually associated with these little devils and a nice alternative to a cabbage salad.
Angela
My thoughts exactly! Please translate!
Angela
Beth
Wonderful looking recipe. Any chance you could translate for us stupid United States non-metric backward folk?
Beth
Teri
It took the 16 y.o. neighbour child to bring me to the Brussel sprout table.
She is a cooking phenom and taught me that with enough pancetta, garlic and Parmesan added, fried sprouts could actually taste like something edible. I'm passing on your recipe which she will no doubt try and love. Her skill is such I want her to be grateful to me.
Thanks, this saves me a trip to Tofino, although it seldom disappoints either.
If you weren't already dead from the sprout episode, watching the excitement of the Cubbies game 7 could have done it.
Liz
Hahaha! this is awesome. I'm trying to think of a food/dish I've been converted to... can't. I was shocked to love haggis the first time I tried it. I still hate liver and eggplant, and I think I would feel hurt if my family insisted on a liver or eggplant based appetizer to share with me having a whole menu to choose from! Rude.