Kathryn's Brussels Sprouts (Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
| Prep Time: 45 min | Serves: 4 |
| Cooking Time: 30 min | Yield: 4 large portions |
This recipe is amazing! The original recipe comes from Deborah Madison's cookbook "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone," and I've made slight modifications. I am a total convert to Brussels sprouts now, and I promise if you try this recipe, you'll suddenly wonder where Brussels sprouts have been all your life too. They come out so crisp and sweet, and are paired wonderfully with the red pearl onions and walnuts. The recipe is a bit labor-intensive, but I think it's worth it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup Onions
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 5 stalk celery, raw
- 1 cup Vegetable Stock
- 1 tbsp Parsley, Dried
- 500 g Frozen Brussel Sprouts
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 2 tbsp Parsley, Dried
Directions
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Serves 8 or more at a holiday meal
This gorgeous dish was inspired by a picture in "Simply French" by Patricia Wells. It's an elaborate preparation for a special meal, but you can cook everything except the Brussels sprouts the day before. Reheat the vegetables, blanch the sprouts, and combine them at the last minute.
* 1 cup walnut halves
* 1 pint red pearl onions
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* Salt and freshly milled pepper
* 1 fennel bulb, sliced into julienne strips, or 5 celery ribs, diced
* 1 cup vegetable stock or water
* 3 tablespoons chopped parsley and celery leaves, mixed
* 1 pound Brussels sprouts, left whole if small, halved or quartered, if not
* 2 tablespoons walnut oil
* 2 tablespoons chopped fennel greens and parsley
1. Drop the walnuts into a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, then scoop them out. Rub off what you can of their skins with a towel, then dry in a 350 F oven for 7 to 8 minutes. Scald the onions in the same pan for 1 minute, then slip off the outer skins without cutting off the root end. If using shallots, peel and separate, following in their natural divisions.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in an 8- or 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the sugar, and season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat until the onions are lightly browned and nearly tender, about 12 minutes. Give the pan a shake every few minutes. Add the fennel and continue cooking, covered, until tender.
3. In another skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the walnuts and cook over low heat, occasionally giving the pan a shake, until they're golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the stock and the herbs. Simmer, covered, until the liquid is reduced to a few tablespoons of syrupy juices. Taste for salt and pepper then combine them with the onions and fennel.
4. Boil the Brussels sprouts in salted water until tender, then add them to the mixture. Add the walnut oil and additional fennel greens, gently stir everything together and serve.
When I make this recipe, I have just a couple of modifications. For one, I use celery instead of fennel. I also don't bother with scalding the walnuts to get their skins off. The skin doesn't bother me. You have to do it for the onions though! Also, I usually make this with some kind of whole grain (barley, brown rice, bulgur, etc.) The vegetables turn out so sweet that it's nice to have a hearty grain like that to kind of anchor the meal. I usually toss some walnuts and parsley in with the grains.