Olive Oil Fried Brussel Sprouts

One of my favorite dishes at Salt & Fat is their fried Brussel sprouts. They are SO good and A bit addictive, so much so I had to make them the day after I had them at the restaurant. Here I fried them in olive oil but you could easily fry them in lard or bacon fat. The quality of the fat is important in this dish because it is a big part of the flavor. It reminds me of fried artichoke hearts because the nuttiness of the Brussels sprouts works so well with the olive oil: a real fall treat. Using a cast iron skillet is important in the dish because you want to have a steady heat to fry the brussel sprouts but you do not want it to get too hot so that the olive oil burns.

Olive Oil Fried Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

• 10 ounces of brussel sprouts, cleaned and dried well
• 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• freshly grated Parmesan to taste

Equipment:

• cast iron pan or dutch oven casserole
• mircoplaner or cheese grater

Preparation:

1. Clean the brussel sprouts, using a knife cut of bottoms and discard any damaged leaves, I cut the larger brussel sprouts in half but left the small ones whole.
2. Make sure to pat dry the brussel sprouts or let them dry in a colander for ten minutes and then pat dry. Water can cling to the sprouts and can create a bit of a mess when you fry them if they are still wet.
   
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, over a medium high heat the olive oil until the oil becomes warm.
   
4. Add the brussel sprouts and fry for roughly 7 minutes, you want the outer edges to brown and the brussel sprouts to soften but be mindful not to over cook them.
   
5. Place on dish, season with salt immediately drizzle with some of the oil and then grate Parmesan cheese over the dish.
6. Enjoy!

Cleaned, cut and dried sprouts

beautiful olive oil in the casserole panBrussels sprouts fry for around 7 minutes

Enjoy!