Thinly sliced Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon and onions, then tossed with roasted chestnuts, thyme and some lemon juice.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving, have you started planning your holiday meals yet?
If so, bravo! If not, don’t despair, neither do we. This usually happens about two days before the event.
Chestnuts and Brussels sprouts are a natural combination—earthy and bold, warm and filling. Add bacon to the mix and you have a match made in heaven.
Whatever you do, don’t overcook the sprouts! Overcooking gives them a slightly sulphurous taste. But cooked just enough? Perfect. Especially with the chestnuts and bacon.
Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts
Chestnuts are delicious, but a huge pain to roast and peel (have you ever exploded chestnuts all over your kitchen? I have). Canned (jarred rather) chestnuts work better in recipes than the kind you roast and peel yourself. The texture and moisture content are more consistent. We therefore recommend using roasted canned chestnuts for this recipe. You can of course roast and peel your own if you prefer.
ingredients
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1 pound Brussels sprouts
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1/3 pound thick-cut bacon or rashers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces or sticks
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1 red onion, chopped
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20-25 canned roasted chestnuts, quartered or roughly chopped
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1/4 cup chicken broth
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salt and pepper to taste
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Lemon wedges for serving
method
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Preparation of the Brussels sprouts:
Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and slice thinly, starting at the tip of the sprout and working your way back to the stalk. Discard the hard tip of the stem end.
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Cook bacon:
Cut the bacon into pieces about 1/4 inch wide and place in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
When the bacon is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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Cook onions in lard, add bacon again:
Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease (don’t put it down the drain, see how to make bacon grease). Turn up the heat, add the red onions. Cook until the onions start to brown, add the bacon back in.
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Add chestnuts, Brussels sprouts, broth:
Place the chestnuts and Brussels sprouts in the sauté pan with the bacon and onions. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Stir in about 1 teaspoon of salt, more or less to taste. Cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
Serve hot with lemon wedges. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the sprouts before eating them.
Links:
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Onions – here at Simply Recipes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts – here on Simply Recipes
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Apples – from 101 Cookbooks
Brussels sprouts with pasta – by Orangette
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Brown Butter – by Smitten Kitchen
