Charred Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Chips

Ingredientes

20 medium garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

Kosher salt and ground white pepper

2 pounds medium Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

¼ cup slivered almonds

2 lemon grass stalks, trimmed to bottom 6 inches, dry outer layers discarded, thinly sliced (about ¾ cup)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon white sugar

Instruções

Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the garlic and ½ cup oil. Cook, stirring, until uniformly light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Set a fine mesh strainer over a small heatproof bowl. Strain the mixture, then transfer the garlic chips to a paper towel-lined plate and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Reserve the oil.

In a large bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with ¼ cup of the reserved garlic oil. Arrange the sprouts cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with a knife and well browned on the cut sides, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the almonds, lemon grass, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper, the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil. Process until finely chopped, about 45 seconds. Set aside.

In a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil until beginning to smoke. Add the almond mixture, immediately reduce heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.

When the sprouts are done, immediately add them to the almond mixture along with the lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Toss, then taste and season with salt and white pepper. Transfer to a platter, then sprinkle with the garlic chips and drizzle with garlic oil.

Notas

Don’t undercook the almond–lemon grass mixture. Browning it well helps tenderize the lemon grass and develop toasty flavor.

To keep our roasted sprouts fresh and bright we reversed the seasoning process, doing it at the end, instead of the beginning. The cooked sprouts were tossed with ground almonds, lemon grass and lemon juice and zest, a combination inspired by a dish we enjoyed at Angus An’s Maenam Restaurant in Vancouver. Garlic balanced the brightness; to keep it from burning we cooked it separately from the sprouts, thinly slicing and frying 20 cloves. The crispy fried garlic chips added a savory note. Leftover oil from frying the chips can be used for salad dressings or drizzled on pasta. The sprouts were best served on a platter; in a bowl, the sprouts on the bottom tended to soften as they sat.