Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with bacon

Every once in a while, I get together with my friend C and we make dinner together and  spend some quality time without the hefty restaurant tab. Plus, we can stay as long as we want. So while discussing our dinner menu for that day, I asked C if she liked Brussels Sprouts. Turns out, she’s never had them before!

Remember the last time I made Brussels Sprouts? I had David Chang’s recipe, which made them taste so delicious, and I became a lover of Brussels Sprouts ever since.

Since C lives near me, I decided to prepare the dish at home beforehand. I remember it being a very warm summer day, and I did not have the desire to turn on my oven. So I grilled them over my cast iron skillet, to get the golden roasted flavor. Plus I used a little bit of bacon fat, which is SO healthy!

While standing over the stove, I realized that I had some bacon in my freezer. I threw it into the microwave to thaw, cut it into smaller pieces and added it to the dish. It was scrumptiously salty and sweet. We enjoyed my side dish with C’s delicious balsamic chicken. =)

I actually used rice wine and cooked the sprouts down a lot more before adding bacon, but I’ll leave that up to you. I just figured using the bacon’s remains would make for a much more flavorful dish!

Brussels Sprouts with bacon
Makes 3-4 side dish servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of Brussels Sprouts (about 12-14 small rounds)
4 strips of bacon
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
4-5 fresh leaves of basil, chiffonade (rolled and cut into thin strips)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash Brussels sprouts thoroughly under running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Cut the sprouts in half, one by one.

2. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add bacon slices. Cook until all the fat has been rendered and bacon is crispy, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Using a scissor, cut bacon into fourths (smaller, if you want). Place bacon back into the pan. Add sprouts to the pan, cut side down. Raise heat and cook through, about 10 minutes.

4. Change heat to low. Stir in fish sauce and sugar, along with basil.

5. Right before serving, add fresh cracked pepper over the top. Serve hot.

Thankfully, C really enjoyed this dish and says she would definitely eat Brussels Sprouts again. SCORE! Moral of the story: bacon makes everything better. =)