Creamy Brussel Sprouts

Posted May 29, 2013 by TiAn

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma's "Essentials of Slow Cooking."

Servings

4 servings

Ingredients
4 slices of bacon, about 4 oz. total weight, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1 pound small Brussels sprouts {halved or quartered if large}, bases trimmed and outer leaves removed
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
Add the Brussels sprouts and shallots, reduce the heat to medium-low, and saute until the vegetables are coated and barely tinged with gold {2-3 minutes}.
Stir in the broth and cream. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 25-35 minutes.
Uncover, add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is lightly reduced {3-4 minutes}.
Stir in the reserved bacon and serve at once.

The verdict:  

Don't bother until you can get fresh, young brussel sprouts.  I've tried this twice, once with frozen and once with out of season brussel sprouts from the local grocer.  Get them at a farmer's market, in season and then give it a try.  They were bitter, tough, and not very good.  I think this recipe has a lot of potential, but it's a seasonal recipe for certain.  So wait for September time frame when they're being harvested.