Brussel sprouts really are the underdog of the vegetable crowd. And let’s just say the vegetable crowd isn’t necessarily the coolest crowd on the playground. They get an incredibly bad wrap and I too admit I rolled around with the popular crowd, dissing the sprouts at any chance I could get. That is..until I tried one. Brussel sprouts can actually be quite amazing, roasted with garlic, pancetta, and olive oil. Try it and I swear you will convert.
Since brussel sprouts are my jam lately, I’m trying out a new recipe inspired by my delectable tapas dish at Barcelona Wine Bar. Instead of roasting, I pan fried them giving an extra added crisp and almost charred consistency.
Begin by washing 1 pound of brussel sprouts.
Cut off the bottom of the sprouts and quarter them being careful to remove excess leaves. I like to save a few in the batch because they become super crunchy and delicious when you fry them.
You will have a lot of extra leaves
Ok now time to fry. I have never fried ANYTHING before and this was absolutely terrifying. Boiling hot oil was spattering and spitting all over me and I happened to completely coat my kitchen with it at the same time. Therefore, in order not to risk my own life, I failed to take pictures of this moment. But this is what they looked like after! Nice and crispy and browned. I did them in four separate batches. Heat the oil to 350-375 degrees and make sure to test it with a little leaf.
Make sure to pat them dry with paper towels so they do not become bogged down and soggy with oil. That my friends, would be bad. Toss the brussel sprouts with paprika, sea salt, and pepper.
Ingredients:
1 pound brussel sprouts
vegetable oil for frying
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
The Hungry Heron 