Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Carrots, Cilantro and Citrus Vinaigrette
Serves 2
Adapted from Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
For Pickled Carrots (you will have leftovers):
¼ cup rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
¾ cup hot water
2½ tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6-10 carrots, depending on size, peeled and cut into 4 inch sticks
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2-3 dried chiles
3-4 thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds (or ½ teaspoon dried coriander)
For Citrus Vinaigrette (you will have leftovers):
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1½ tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
½ cup olive oil (plus optional ¼ cup)
For Dish:
¼ cup olive oil
¾ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
5-8 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
For Pickled Carrots:
In a large pot or bowl combine the rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, hot water, sugar, and salt. Stir everything until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
In a clean jar, neatly arrange the carrots and add in the garlic, dried chiles, thyme sprigs, coriander seeds. Pour the pickling liquid overtop until the carrots are fully submerged. The carrots can be refrigerated for up to 2 months, so this is a process you can do well in advance.
For Citrus Vinaigrette:
In a medium bowl, zest the orange, lemon, and lime. Then halve and juice the orange, lemon, and lime into the same bowl. Add in the honey, Champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few shakes of pepper. Whisk everything until well combined.
Slowly whisk in ½ cup olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, at this point, if you prefer. Set aside.
For Dish:
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. As it’s heating up, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the Brussel sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sprouts until the flat side starts to char and the outer leaves turn a darker green and maybe take on a char, about 8 -10 minutes. Make sure you don’t overcook them or they’ll turn mushy, so stay vigilant as you cook them.
With the sprouts still in the pan, add a glug of olive oil and sauté the garlic until it becomes soft, fragrant, and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Break up the garlic with a wooden spoon as they sauté.
As the sprouts and garlic are cooking, take ½ cup of your pickled carrots and thinly slice them (circles or semi circles are good). Once the garlic has cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the carrots, half the nuts, and all of the green onions. Toss to combine everything.
Spoon ¼ cup of the Citrus Vinaigrette over the veggies and toss again.
Add half of the cilantro and half of the parsley and toss again.
Garnish with additional nuts, cilantro, parsley, or citrus dressing. Best served slightly warmed or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
