Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Tahini Caesar
Excerpted from Well Seasoned
Yield: 4 Servings
Everyone and their brother knows what a Brussels sprout looks like. They’re tiny little cabbages that, if cooked by my mother in 1998, taste like an old shoe. But on their stalks, Brussels are one of the most fantastical Dr. Seuss-ian vegetables you’ll ever behold and, when cooked properly to crispy golden brown in a hot oven, their flavor is a revelation. Caesar salad purists may sneer, but the nutty and slightly bitter tahini plays off the sweetness of the crispy roasted Brussels sprouts and makes a perfect cold weather version of this classic salad.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
- 1 table spoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup smoked or salted almonds, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the oil on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring about halfway through.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, lemon zest and juice, garlic, Dijon, and vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons of water, the extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, and salt to taste. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Drain the capers well and dry them off on paper towel. Add the capers to the skillet and fry until crisp, about 1 minute, being careful of splatter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to paper towel to drain.
- When the Brussels sprouts are roasted, spread the Caesar dressing over a serving dish and top with the sprouts. Scatter the capers, almonds, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a little more pepper, if desired, over top.
Excerpted from Well Seasoned by Mary Berg.
Copyright © 2021 by Mary Berg.
Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
