Brussly Bois

Brussels sprouts get a pretty bad reputation of being boring, of being a side chick, of being just cabbage, but smaller. I mean, the people who say that are not wrong buuuuut, here in the Fruitman Kitchen we like a humble little cabbage, we’ll treat it right, dress it up, give it a seat at the table.

The secret is blanching and the secret is anchovies, yes anchovies, don’t leave yet.

This simple recipe is part of another series for Fruitman Kitchen where we try to make the best of what we get from our CSA. Our particular CSA is from Brooklyn Supported Agriculture, we get a bag of vegetables every week for $25, but we don’t know what we get ahead of time. Brussels sprouts are very common in the winter season, so…well…better get to work turning these into a savory side dish.

Total preparation time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Pineapples: 5/5 🍍 🍍 🍍 🍍 🍍
Read before committing: Do not fear the anchovy, fear is the mind killer.

Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts
Salt and Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Two Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
Two Anchovy Fillets

Instructions
Cut the sprouts in half, cutting off the base stem.
Prepare a bowl with ice water off to the side.
Boil a pot of salted water, and once it’s at a boil, immerse the sprouts inside for about 4 minutes.
Remove the sprouts from the boil and immediately put them in the ice water. This retains nutrients and color and removes bitterness.
In a frying pan, add smashed garlic, olive oil, and anchovies.
Heat up everything slowly, letting the anchovies disintegrate and the garlic brown.
Once the anchovies are disintegrated, add the brussels sprouts and toss with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until cooked through.
Done!