Who Doesn't Love Brussel Sprouts?!

It is hard not to enjoy brussel sprouts when they are steamed in chicken broth and have bacon bits in every bite.  My Jane (aka my mom) and I were talking about Thanksgiving a couple weeks ago and I said I would prepare the vegetable.  Her immediate response was of course, "I just love brussel sprouts and we never have them. Can you make brussel sprouts?"  My response, "Ugh, Mom, no one likes brussel sprouts and they smell like a fart."  I agreed and was on the hunt...verring away from my trustee cookbooks to one of my favorite sites, williamsonoma.com.  I could not be more happy with this recipe and even better, everyone else enjoyed it at Friendsgiving and again at Thanksgiving with my family.  I really liked that I was able to do a lot of the prep work in the morning, so when it came time to prepare and serve (which is best so they are served warm), it was easy.  I cooked my bacon and then covered the pan and set aside for use during final preparations.  Trust me, braising makes the recipe even better.  I also cleaned and cut the brussel sprouts in the morning, then put back in the fridge.  Follow the recipe and you can't go wrong!  I think the only thing I would have changed for Friendsgiving would be serving them on a platter rather than in a bowl because the presentation really is very pretty, just a little fragrant.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. brussels sprouts
• 5 oz. bacon, diced
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 tsp. salt

 

Directions:

Cut or pull off any dry outer leaves from the brussels sprouts. Trim away any brown spots and slice off the dry stem end. Cut the brussels sprouts into quarters. Set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Pour off the fat in the pan and discard.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the shallots and thyme and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shallot mixture to the bowl with the bacon. Pour 1/4 cup of the stock into the pan and, using a wooden spoon, stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour the stock over the bacon mixture.

Using paper towels, wipe out the pan and place over medium-high heat. Melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the brussels sprouts and salt and stir to coat evenly. Cook until the brussels sprouts begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir again, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup of the stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more stock as needed, until the brussels sprouts are soft, about 15 minutes more. Add the bacon mixture and any remaining stock and stir to incorporate. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.