Alice Bilyk / Daily Nexus
Before developing this recipe, brussels sprouts never really crossed my mind. I had some raw brussels sprouts in a salad once and I kind of hated them. But, a few years ago, I had some crispy fried brussels sprouts at a restaurant and was fully blown away; they were so yummy and so addicting.
These are my take on that restaurant’s crispy fried brussels sprouts! I can eat a full dish of them in one sitting if I don’t stop myself. They are perfectly sweet and sour, but also a little bitter and earthy. The aioli adds some nice saltiness and shine to the flavor, so I definitely recommend eating them together! Also, this is definitely a dish that is best warm right off the pan.
Side note: almost every bougie restaurant I’ve gone to in the past three years has had a variation of this recipe on their menu. Maybe I’m just visiting a lot of brussels-sprout-heavy restaurants.
Alice Bilyk / Daily Nexus
Ingredients:
Brussel sprouts:
- 1 pound brussels sprouts (cut in half)
- 2 large medjool dates (pitted)
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- Olive oil (for pan)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Aioli:
- 1 green onion (the white half) or 3-4 chives
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ lemon (juiced)
Garnishes:
- Green onion (the green half) or chives
- Thyme leaves
- Honey
Alice Bilyk / Daily Nexus
Directions:
- First, make the garlic aioli. Mince one garlic clove and finely chop the white half of a green onion (or chives). In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the garlic and white part of the green onion (or chives). You may also add a little honey if so desired.
- Next, cut all the brussels sprouts in half and salt them lightly. Add olive oil to a large pan and place on medium heat. Place the brussels sprouts flat-side-down and cover with a lid for 3-5 minutes, or until the faces are dark brown and crispy. You want the brussels sprouts to look a little too crispy.
- Add the juice of half a lemon.
- Flip each brussel sprout onto the rounded side and add more oil if needed.
- Repeat steps 2 and 4 until the brussels sprouts look lightly burnt. Turn off the heat and add honey. Salt and pepper to taste, then add the juice from the other hand lemon half. Toss lightly.
- Shred the two medjool dates roughly and toss in with the brussels sprouts. To garnish, you may drizzle honey on top, add the remaining half of the chopped green onion and a few fresh thyme leaves. You may also squeeze a little more lemon juice over the sprouts!
Feel free to eat these brussels sprouts with your fingers like I did! They’re quick and easy to make, and a delicious side to any meal.
