Brussels sprouts are an essential part of my Thanksgiving weekend menu because my mom and mother-in-law are here to gobble them up with me. 🙂 In this dish, they are sweetened- and darkened- with balsamic vinegar.
This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Amanda Hesser. I significantly reduced the amount of breadcrumb topping. It was a nice side dish to serve on Thanksgiving because it comes together quickly and requires minimal oven time.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 4 T extra virgin olive oil
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 2 lbs baby Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed (cut larger ones in two)(I used an entire stalk of sprouts)
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces pancetta in small dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 T minced shallots
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup veal stock or rich chicken broth, more if needed
- 2 T chopped parsley, for garnish
- Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
- In a bowl, mix bread crumbs and thyme with 2T olive oil, and spread on a cookie sheet. Toast, tossing frequently, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Heat butter and remaining 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy.
- Add brussels sprouts, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté, tossing frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add diced pancetta, and sauté, tossing frequently, until sprouts are well browned and softened slightly, and pancetta is crisp, about 10 minutes more.
- Reduce heat, add shallots and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to high, add balsamic vinegar and stock, and cook, tossing frequently, until sprouts are glazed and tender, about 10 minutes; add more stock if needed.
- Taste, adjusting seasoning if necessary.
- Transfer to a warm serving bowl and scatter bread crumbs and chopped parsley on top.
thebrookcook 