Parboiling the sprouts for just 30 seconds takes away their crunch and their bitterness, leaving you with a vegetable that is softened, mellowed, and ready for action. Then comes the good stuff: Your sprouts lie face down in a hot, thin slick of oil until they turn almost-black. They’re best quartered, as more surface area means more flavor. You add a lot of salt. Next, you push your brussels sprouts aside and add diced onions to the pan. It sounds like an afterthought, but keeps the onions from burning and turns them into soft, sweet bits that commingle nicely with the sprouts; they cling to each other once finally stirred together. A squeeze of lemon brightens everything up. You’re left with a vegetable which is soft, sweet, salty, and crisped in oil, but has not lost its identity.
1/2 pound medium-sized brussels sprouts, quartered
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 lemon
Salt, to taste
Serves 2
- Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch your brussels sprouts for 30 seconds, drain, and dry thoroughly.
- The key to getting a good char on your brussels sprouts is making sure they don’t crowd. If you’re working with a large pan (e.g. a 10-inch cast iron skillet), cook them all at once. If your pan is smaller, fry in two batches. Heat oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add one sprout, cut-side down; if it begins to sizzle immediately, add the rest. You want most of them to land cut-side down, but don’t drive yourself crazy.
- Let your sprouts cook, untouched, for a minute or so, and then check them. If they’re white or light brown on the bottom, let them cook a bit more. You want to wait to flip them until they are charred and almost black. Once they are, flip to the other side, and wait for side two to cook until crispy. Add salt, toss a few times, then move them all to the edge of the pan.
- Add your onion (or half of the onion, if you’re working in batches) to the pan. If it looks very dry, add a touch more oil. If you’re worried about them burning, turn the heat down a bit. Let them cook for a minute or two, stirring lightly, until they soften slightly.
- Toss onions and sprouts together; let them cook for 30 more seconds. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, allow everything to steam for a moment, and then you’re done! Taste for salt. Fry your second batch now, if it’s still waiting for you.
Note: These taste great at any temperature, so don’t stress about timing.