Smashed Brussels Sprouts

 

 

Brussels Sprouts.  You are either from the love them or loathe them camp. I suspect that since you are here right now, looking at this, you might could be from the love them camp!

They are a vegetable that seems to spark strong feelings one way or the other in most people.  I don't think I have ever met a person who was smack dab in the middle and could take them or leave them.  

 

I am from the love them camp. I have never met a Brussels Sprout that I didn't enjoy. Well, I just lied.  I once spied some canned Brussels Sprouts on a shelf in the grocery store on offer at a very good price.  I, in a desire to save us some money, snapped up several cans.  Woo hoo! I thought all my Christmas's had come at once.

That is until I opened a can and heated them up for our supper and took a taste.  They were the most befouled loathsome tasting things I have ever encountered.  If that had been my first ever experience with the Brussels Sprout, I could easily see why a person would never be tempted to try one again!!!

 

Thankfully it was not my first experience with a sprout. Properly cooked, they have a beautiful bite and a sweet almost nutty, buttery flavor.  I find them to be quite delightful.

 

Crispy tender to the bite.

 

Another way we love them however, is roasted in the oven.  You will not get a crispy tender sprout if you roast them in the oven, but you will get a delicious sprout with caramelized edges that melts in the mouth. My sister always roasts them and they are fabulously tasty! 

 

 

I got to thinking one day what if you smashed a Brussels sprout and roasted it, kind of like crispy smashed potatoes.   The more I thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. 

 

Crispy tender Brussels sprouts, smashed flat with the bottom of a glass and then roasted in the oven until they got all crispy edged and caramelized.  It sounded so delicious to me.  

I did a search online to see if anyone had ever done it. I thought for sure I had come up with a great new idea. Alas I did not. I found several recipes online for them, which just goes to prove there is nothing new under the sun.

 

This Smashed Brussels Sprouts recipe I am sharing with you today was adapted from what I thought was the best of them. I found it on a site called Kitchn.   Oh boy but they looked some good!!

My mouth was watering just looking at their photograph.  I cut the recipe in half to make only 2 to 3 servings, depending on how much you love Brussels Sprouts.   I can tell you that I could not resist eating one almost as soon as they came out of the oven.  

Yes, they are THAT tasty! Especially to a sprout lover like me!  

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SMASHED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Very few ingredients, but very specific ingredients, aside from the sprouts that is.

• 1 pound of medium Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed but left whole
• 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 TBS olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• 1/2 TBS liquid honey
• fine sea salt
• pinch red pepper Flakes
• 1 1/2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese

 

I confess my sprouts were a bit on the larger side.  I am not sure why, but most of the time my local shops only have these gargantuan sized sprouts. I did need to cook them a tiny bit longer and they did not flatten quite as much as I wanted them to, but that didn't affect their taste. At least as far as I was concerned.

Use a good Balsamic Vinegar. It need not be the most expensive, but don't pop for the cheap stuff either.  That stuff, dare I say it, is not a patch on the real thing.  I usually use a medium quality one.  Mine today was Barilla Balsamic Vinegar from Modena.

  

I used Greek Honey because that is what I had. I also used pre-grated Parmesan because lately that is all I have been able to find.  I do buy the refrigerated one, not the one in the green can. For these I used extra virgin olive oil.  The Barilla one.

 

HOW TO MAKE SMASHED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

It only seems fiddly. Trust me when I say these are really very easy to make. I don't think, however, that it is a vegetable you can make very far ahead of time, at least the roasting bit anyways.  Also you need to smash them while the vegetable is still warm.

Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C. Line a baking tray with some aluminum foil. Grease it well with a bit of oil. Have ready another tray lined with paper towels.

Bring a pot of salted water large enough to hold the sprouts to the boil. Add the sprouts and cook until fork tender. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and then spread out onto the paper towel lined baking sheet to cool for about 5 minutes.

Place the sprouts evenly spaced on the oiled baking tray. Butter the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup and press down on each sprout firmly until it splits open.

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over top, dividing it between each sprout. Drizzle with the olive oil and the honey, again dividing it equally amongst them Sprinkle to taste with some salt and a few red pepper flakes. Turn them around to coat them well in the seasonings.

Roast in the hot oven until the edges are beginning to brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip the sprouts and sprinkle the cheese on top. For for 10 minutes longer, until the cheese has melted and the sprouts are nice and crispy on the outside.  Serve hot.

 

I thought these were exceptionally good. But then, I really love Brussels Sprouts.  They were well cooked, but those crispy edges and caramelized bits more than made up for that.

There was a rich tang from the balsamic vinegar and at the same time a sticky sweetness from the honey.  I did use the pepper flakes and they added just a touch of heat.  I am not sure that the cheese really added all that much to the mix. It kind of got lost in the other flavors.

All in all, however,  I would say that this was a very tasty combination.

Here are some other Brussels Sprouts Recipes in The English Kitchen that you might enjoy! 

CREAMY PARMESAN BRUSSELS SPROUTS & BACON - Cooked only until crispy tender, they retain some of that sweet nuttiness that we so enjoy in sprouts.  They are finished off with a rich cream sauce, and gratineed with some bacon on top.  Delicious! 

RAVIOLI WITH SAUSAGE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS - A delicious all-in-one supper sized generously for one person.  Tender pasta with meaty sausage and lightly fried shredded sprouts. This is quick and easy and oh so tasty! 

Yield: 2-3

Author: Marie Rayner

Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Crispy edges, caramelized and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of medium Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed but left whole
• 1 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 TBS olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• 1/2 TBS liquid honey
• fine sea salt
• pinch red pepper Flakes
• 1 1/2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C. Line a baking tray with some aluminum foil. Grease it well with a bit of oil. Have ready another tray lined with paper towels.
2. Bring a pot of salted water large enough to hold the sprouts to the boil. Add the sprouts and cook until fork tender. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and then spread out onto the paper towel lined baking sheet to cool for about 5 minutes.
3. Place the sprouts evenly spaced on the oiled baking tray. Butter the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup and press down on each sprout firmly until it splits open.
4. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over top, dividing it between each sprout. Drizzle with the olive oil and the honey, again dividing it equally amongst them Sprinkle to taste with some salt and a few red pepper flakes. Turn them around to coat them well in the seasonings.
5. Roast in the hot oven until the edges are beginning to brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip the sprouts and sprinkle the cheese on top. For for 10 minutes longer, until the cheese has melted and the sprouts are nice and crispy on the outside.
6. Serve hot.

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