As for today’s post, it is a bit unusual. For the most part the recipes that I share
are either my own or recipes from another chef or cook that I have tweaked in
some way—great or small—to suit my tastes…or my pantry…or my idea of how it
really should have been done in the first place. I have never taken an inventory of recipes
that I have shared without any changes, but there aren’t very many. Today’s recipe is one of the few that I am
posting with no changes. It just didn’t
need any….
In fact, the recipe’s creator—Chef Anne
Rosenzweig—dubbed them “the best Brussels sprouts.” I don’t know if I would go that far (there
are a lot of really delicious ways to prepare Brussels sprouts!), but they are
indeed very, very good.
Before I share the specifics of what it was about the
recipe that appealed to me, I wanted to mention that I was drawn to the recipe
because of the source. It is unfortunate
that many of today’s cooks and chefs have never heard of Anne Rosenzweig. She is an important figure in the recent
history of American food and cooking.
When I was just starting out in restaurant work, women who had succeeded
in that male dominated world were few and far between. As I sit here typing and try to come up with
a list of women chefs with national reputations who were role models for young
women chefs and cooks during the late eighties and early nineties I can only
think of a few: Alice Waters, Nancy
Silverton…and Anne Rosenzweig. (I’m sure
there were others…but a quick brainstorm only produces those three…). Waters and Silverton are still active and
well known. But Rosenzweig—who was the
chef at the helm of Arcadia in New York for many years—seems to have slipped
out of view. Last year when I ran across
this Brussels sprouts recipe from Arcadia, I wondered about what had happened
to her….so I Googled her. I found a
wonderful recent article detailing her career…and where she is now. It is
well worth reading.
In terms of the recipe, many things about it were
appealing. First and foremost, it includes
two of my favorite food partners for Brussels sprouts—bacon…and carrots. The bacon is an obvious and traditional
companion. All the brassicas (cabbage,
kale, cauliflower, kohlrabi, broccoli…to name a few) are enhanced by the
addition of salty and fatty cured pork products. The carrots aren’t so obvious...but I know
from experience that their natural sweetness make them a perfect foil for the
slightly bitter Brussels sprout. I have
posted several recipes—a couple of pastas and a side dish—that feature these
combinations if you would like to sample it in other ways.
The other thing about this recipe that is particularly
appealing is how easy it is to prepare. None of the ingredients have to be pre-cooked
(no toasting nuts…or blanching the Brussels sprouts…). Simply
render the bacon...then add the pine nuts and allow them to toast in the bacon
fat while the bacon finishes crisping.
Then
add the garlic and carrots and cook briefly to release the fragrance of the
garlic.
Then add slender wedges of
Brussels sprouts
along with a splash of water, cover the pan and cook until the
sprouts are tender—which typically takes about 5 minutes. The whole process from start to finish only
takes about 15 minutes…and only requires one pan.
It would be enough if the dish were just delicious. But it is attractive too. The tiny cubes of carrot are elegant. And because the sprouts aren’t subjected to
the heat long enough to lose their fresh color, the dish is a lovely green. To me this is a lot of return for a small
amount of effort. (And if you are put
off by the tiny dice required for the carrots
—it has to be this way so they
will cook quickly—think of it as a wonderful opportunity to practice your knife
skills!)
These sprouts of course make a great side dish, but
they are not limited to that. Recently I
made them for my lunch and topped them with a poached egg (a fried egg would
work too). And even though this did require another pan, I have to say it was
worth it. I highly recommend it.
Brussels
Sprouts with Bacon, Pine Nuts & Carrots
3 slices
bacon, cut cross-wise in 1/4-inch strips
Olive oil—as
needed
1/4 c. pine
nuts
2 to 3
cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
1/2 c. very
finely diced carrot (you will need 4 oz. whole carrots)
1 1/4 lb.
Brussels Sprouts (4 cups), trimmed, halved and each half cut into quarters
Water
Salt &
freshly ground pepper
2 T. minced
flat leaf parsley
Render the
bacon in a large sauté pan set over moderately low heat. When the fat is rendered, increase the heat
to medium and add the pine nuts. Cook,
stirring constantly until the bacon is crisp and the pine nuts are golden brown
in spots—this will only take a minute or so.
Watch carefully to avoid burning the bacon and pine nuts. If the bacon was very lean, you may need to
add a bit of olive oil.
When the
bacon is crisp and the pine nuts are golden, add the garlic and carrots and
cook (stirring constantly) until the garlic releases its fragrance (less than a
minute). Add the sprouts, along with a
good pinch of salt, and toss to coat in the fat. Add a 3 or 4 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally,
until the sprouts are cooked to your liking.
Depending on the size and age of the sprouts, they will take anywhere
from 2 to 7 minutes. Check occasionally
to make sure they haven’t boiled dry. If
necessary, add more water (but just enough to create some steam). When the sprouts are tender, uncover and
continue to cook until any remaining water has evaporated. Fold in the parsley. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt (if
necessary) and pepper. If you like, add
a drizzle of olive oil (if the bacon was very fatty, this won’t be
necessary). Serve warm. Serves 3 to 4
Note: You can make this recipe in just about any
quantity (just a portion…or multiple…of the original). Simply choose a pan that will hold all of the
Brussels sprouts so they are not piled too deeply in the pan.
No comments:
Post a Comment