Cook the Book
20120914-221954-cook-the-book-brussels-sprouts-with-walnuts.jpg
Brussels Sprouts [Photograph: Quentin Bacon]
To complement their Tsimis recipe in The Mile End Cookbook, Noah and Rae Bernamoff offer another honey-sweetened vegetable dish: Brussels Sprouts. Here they also call for roasting, but the sprouts are given a high-heat treatment, emerging from the oven blistered and crisp. And then instead of coating the sprouts in a honey glaze, they use the sweetener to candy walnuts. A final flourish of sauteed Granny Smith apples completes the dish, balancing the bitter notes of the sprouts and nuts.
Why I picked this recipe: Walnuts and brussels sprouts are always a winning combination in my book; throw in honey, butter, and tart-sweet apples and I'm in early-fall heaven.
What worked: Candying the walnuts in honey was a neat trick, flavor-wise, as their sweet and slightly bitter flavor perfectly matched the caramelized sprouts.
What didn't: Nothing. Every step was spot-on.
Suggested Tweaks: I'd like more walnuts next time around, and I'd also cut the apples into smaller pieces.
Reprinted with permission from The Mile End Cookbook by Noah and Rae Bernamoff. Copyright 2012. Published by Clarkston Potter. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • For the Candied Walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or canola oil
  • 1/4 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Leaves from 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • &nsbp
  • For the Brussels Sprouts and Apples
  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (about 2 pints), cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Procedures

  1. Make the Candied Walnuts: Heat the butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the walnut pieces and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the walnuts start to take on a light golden color; add the rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Add the honey, stir, and remove from the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  3. Make the Brussels Sprouts and Apples: Toss the Brussels sprouts with the canola oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a 10- by 15-inch baking sheet and roast them until crisp-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
  4. To finish the dish, heat the butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the apple pieces, and cook them until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the candied walnuts, Brussels sprouts, and lemon juice, and toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning if needed.