Well, I’m hardly sophisticated, and I’m late to my love of them, but roast the little critters and they become downright delicious.
A note: the immersion blender didn’t work on the dressing—not enough stuff for the blade to dive into, and the roasted shallots are too soft for the blade. Use a small food processor if you have one, or a full-sized processor or blender.
Now for pomegranates, another food some of us find daunting—how on earth do you seed it? A good friend grew up on a farm in Kazakstan where her family had three types of pomegranate shrubs, as she calls them, growing in their yard. She said slice the top or blossom end off. Then you’ll see flesh dividing the fruit into sections, much like citrus. Slice the sections or wedges apart, then simply break them with your hands. The seeds will pop out with your fingers, with no trouble. It worked like a charm, with hardly any juice lost. I did notice that some of the seeds closest to the skin were greenish, not the red jewels we’re after, so I left those. Extra seeds went on salads and into our Christmas eve champagne. (Those are spare seeds on the plate, not stray drips of sauce!)
The colors made this a fun combo for Christmas dinner – it looked like garland, nestled against the beef Wellington, but you hardly need to wait another 51 weeks to enjoy it.
Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate, Feta, and Roasted Shallot Dressing
Adapted from the Washington Post
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 medium shallot, halved lengthwise through the root
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
kosher salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons crumbled feta
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Trim the ends and any withered leaves off the Brussels sprouts and rinse. Cut in half and place on a large rimmed baking sheet, with the shallot halves. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, then toss and continue to roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are browned and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove from oven.
Transfer the shallot pieces to the small bowl of a small food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, the vinegar, mustard, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper, and process until smooth.
Transfer the sprouts to your serving bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and feta and serve.
Serves 4 as a side dish.
Are you a fan of the humble Brussels sprout or the majestic pomegranate? What fruit or veg have you resisted, only to fall in love with it?
Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, continuing in July 2022 with Peppermint Barked. She's the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories. Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. As Alicia Beckman, she writes standalone suspense, beginning with Bitterroot Lake (2021) and continuing with Blind Faith (October 2022, Crooked Lane Books).
A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.
Swing by her website and subscribe to her seasonal newsletter, for a chat about the writing life, what she's working on, and what she's reading -- and a free short story. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.
Love pomegranates and have since I was a child. Brussels sprouts not so much, but have family members that do. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net
My pleasure, Kay!
DeleteThanks for the recipe, Leslie. Roasted Brussels sprouts seem to appear on a lot of restaurant menus lately. It's the only way I'll eat them. They're so different from the boiled ones I had to eat and hated as a child.
ReplyDeleteThey are having a moment, aren't they? Enjoy!
DeleteI love all the ingredients! Thanks for the recipe, Leslie.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteCrispy roasted sprouts are quite a revelation for those of us who grew up with boiled to death ones.
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is timing. I roast them just so and then there is a delay and they turn soft by the time we eat. Sigh.
Hmm, that is a mystery I can't solve!
Delete