Is there anything so dull as a brussels sprouts recipe just days after the brussels sprout-ing-est holiday of the year? No? Phew. Because these sprouts, they’re a long time coming. It took me forever to get them right. I’d originally intended them for the cookbook. I made them six different ways in the fall of 2010, and I never found what I was looking for. It was a year before I could even look at brussels again, and by that time, the book had moved on without them. But I had not.





I wanted a brussels sprout dish that was the opposite of what I’ve been seeing around in the last couple years — that would be free of nuggets of slab bacon, toasted nuts, buttery breadcrumbs, crumbled cheese or individual leaves, deep fried until crisp as potato chips. Do I dislike any of these things? Heavens, no. But they’re all so heavy. And rich. And brussels, with their cabbage origins, are hearty enough. I wanted to cook them in a simple braise, and then finish them with a piercing, heavenly sauce, something that cut right through the leafiness without adding mountains of pork fat. I wanted the cabbage equivalent of our favorite chicken dish.

Of course, it took but two weeks after the great Lowering Of the Stakes (I mean, manuscript delivery) for me to get it right. It turns out that a little free time and slight release of the pressure valve make me a better cook! Huh. Anyway, these are brussels sprouts, exactly as I always want them to be. They’re halved and browned, then braised in wine and broth, topped with rings of shallots, and then, when they’re tender (but not mush), you transfer them to a platter and make a Dijon pan sauce. And if you’re like me, the hardest thing will be not drinking it directly from the pan with a straw. I can tell by the look on your face right now that you’re probably not like me. This is for the best because did I tell you I lost a bag of shallots, prior to making this dish? Lost them. In our tiny apartment. Two weeks later, I still haven’t found them and I fear for when I do. These are the kinds of things that happen when you’re me. But I found my kicky brussels sprout at last, so there’s that, too.





One year ago: Roasted Chestnut Cookies

Two years ago: Balsamic Braised Brussels with Pancetta (these are the opposite of today’s sprouts, achingly delicious and so very rich)

Three years ago: Winter Fruit Salad, Mushroom and Barley Pie, Cranberry Pecan Frangipane Tart, Mustard Roasted Potatoes, Walnut Tartlets and Cauliflower Gratin

Four years ago: Tiramisu Cake, Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes, Rugelach Pinwheels

Five years ago: Honey Hoisin Pork Riblets, Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Wild Mushroom Pirogis and Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake