Here is a wonderful Brussels sprouts recipe with lightly toasted walnuts, sweet shallots and lots of pungent lemon. What I love about this recipe is that if you do a bit of prep ahead of time – by steaming the sprouts and sweating the shallot – you are only a few minutes away from a fabulous side dish that you can serve with anything from an elaborate roast turkey dinner to a quick meal of grilled steak.
Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Shallots and Lemon
(serves 2-4)
Trim the Brussels by removing any iffy looking outer leaves and take a quick trim off the stem. Cut a cross into the bottom of each sprout. Prepare a steamer with at least an inch of water in it and a big pinch of salt. When the pot is ready and the water is steaming add the Brussel sprouts and cook until tender.
While the Brussels are steaming prepare an ice water bath for them - this is just a bowl of water with a few handfuls of ice in it. Once the sprouts are cooked transfer them to the ice bath until cooled. Drain and reserve - this is the best way to avoid overcooked sprouts! (If you time it well, you can actually skip this step and go straight to tossing the sprouts with the other ingredients.)
Heat a medium skillet to medium low heat and add the olive oil and shallots. Sweat until softened. Add the Brussels sprouts, lemon zest and walnuts. Turn the heat up to medium, and cook the sprouts, tossing regularly until you have crispy brown bits on the sides of them. Squeeze in the lemon juice and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve hot!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve put chestnuts with Brussels sprouts, but not walnuts. Walnuts are much easier ‘-)) Love this idea, and all the lemon, too!
Let me know if you try it!