Makes 4 servings
This is a healthier (and vegan) take on the typical roasted Brussels sprouts side dish, which often involves cured pork and/or cheese. I dress it with a quick honey-mustard vinaigrette, which should also become part of your regular salad-dressing rotation.
Photo by Even Sung, courtesy of Harper Collins
Makes about ¾ cup
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Working in batches, blanch the Brussels sprouts until almost tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool, then transfer to paper towels and pat dry. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half.
In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over high heat until it shimmers. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper and stir. Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring a few times, until the sprouts are well browned, 15–20 minutes.
As soon as the Brussels sprouts come out of the oven, add the sunflower seeds and chile slices to the skillet and stir for a minute or so. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Top with the avocado and apple. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and top with the basil, mint, and some freshly grated lime zest. Season with flaky salt and pepper and serve.
CHEF’S TIP-We talk a lot about balancing flavor and texture when creating new dishes, but I also like to consider temperature, specifically contrasting temperatures. There’s something exciting about pairing hot and cold in a dish, like a drizzle of cool yogurt on a hot soup. Here, I pair roasted sprouts with cool, crisp apple and creamy avocado.
From the book CHASING FLAVOR, Techniques and Recipes to Cook Fearlessly by Dan Kluger. Copyright © 2020 by Daniel Kluger. Copyright photographs © 2020 by Evan Sung. Reprinted by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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