Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

If you’re a brussels sprout lover (see Jan’s Refrigerate column on the subject) this is really satisfying. Makes 10 entree sized portions or about six mains.

Brussels sprouts  2 quarts/1.92 kg

Olive oil 3 Tbsp/45 mL

Small-dice pancetta 3 1/4 oz – 92 g

Chopped onion 3/4 cup/180 mL

Butter 4 tsp/20 mL

Water 2 1/2 Tbsp/37.5 mL

Salt 1 1/2 tsp/7.5 mL

Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 tsp/3.75 mL

1. Slice each Brussels sprout in half and remove the core. Gently pull the layers of leaves apart.
2. Heat a large sauté pan and add the olive oil and pancetta. Render the fat from the pancetta, until it is lightly crispy. Remove the pancetta and reserve.
3. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the butter and swirl to melt. Add the sprouts and water.
5. Cook over medium heat, tossing to coat, until leaves are tender and bright green, about 6 to 8 minutes. Adjust seasoning, fold in remaining pancetta, and serve immediately.

Variation

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Beurre Noisette: Omit the pancetta, decrease the amount of olive oil to 2 Tbsp/30 mL, and increase the amount of butter to 2 oz/57 g. Cook the entire amount of butter separately. As the sprouts are finishing cooking, heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Just before the sprouts are done, add the whole butter to the pan; if it sizzles, remove the pan from the heat and swirl until the sizzling stops. Place the pan back on the burner and gently cook the butter until it has a nutty smell and is a medium dark brown color. Toss the cooked Brussels sprout with the brown butter and serve.

Recipe taken from: the CIA (that’s Culinary Institute of America Guide to Produce Identification, Fabrication and Utilization. Sign up for their free email newsletter, it is designed for industry insiders but it always has a few good general interest food stories and recipes.

If you’re a brussels sprout lover this is a really satisfying dish, entree or main.