honey roasted brussels stalks.
INGREDIENTS
1 stalk Brussels sprouts, or about 1 pound of individual sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hot honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
RECIPE
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Trim any yellow leaves or extra stems from the stalk. Remove any wilting leaves.
Wrap the entire stalk in plastic Saran wrap so that all sprouts are enclosed. Microwave for 4-5 minutes, until soft and bright green.
Remove the plastic and place on a parchment lined sheet tray.
Whisk together the olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Brush the glaze onto the Brussels sprouts.
Roast for 40 minutes, until tender. Sprouts will be crispy and brown.
Serve immediately. For easier serving, use kitchen shears to remove the sprouts from the stalk.
NOTES:
If you are making these sprouts without the stalk, skip microwaving and slice the sprouts in half before tossing with the honey mixture. With the halved Brussels, plan to roast for 25-30 minutes instead.
My favorite way to make Brussels sprouts has been, for a very long time, a simple-ish sauté.
Slice the sprouts in half. Add the sprouts to a skillet face down over medium heat. Add a splash of water and cover.
Once they’re bright green, uncover and add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, then let them cook. Without touching. Just let them be.
You get these fantastically simple caramelized sprouts that are just barely crispy on the bottom. So much flavor, and yet not a whole show. Just a simple side dish.
The other best way I’ve eaten sprouts is loaded up with toppings at Cloud Red in Milwaukee. Aioli, jalapeno, pickled red onion — it’s like a loaded nacho but with sprouts. Amazing.
It feels kind of intimidating to buy a whole stalk of Brussels sprouts. I mean why would you, unless you plan to serve it that way? It’s easy to make, but much more of a hassle than just tossing the sprouts together in a bowl. I’d recommend reserving it for special occasions, like Thanksgiving, when a stalk on the table would look kind of cool and artistic. You know, instead of weird.
It’s otherwise very simple to use the stalk and cooking it is mostly hands-off while it roasts in the oven. The sprouts will be crispy on the outside from the honey and high heat, while the insides get very tender.
To eat, you’d cut or slice the sprouts from the stalk. Personally, I think this would be fun for guests to do, but realistically most people just want to scoop and leave the buffet line. So, do what you think is best.
And you can always use this recipe for regular, stalk-less Brussels, too — the instructions for those are in the recipe notes.
Enjoy.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 3 minutes Cook Time: 44 minutes
how the stalks will look in store
trimming the yellow leaves and extra stalk
I used two long sheets and wrapped them around the stalk as best as possible; doesn’t need to be perfect, just mostly covered.
the brussels should be bright green. place them on a baking sheet.
