Before winter gives way to spring and squash gives way to strawberries, we’ve got one more winter-produce recipe for you. San Francisco-based chef Michael Mina of the Georgetown restaurant Bourbon Steak gave us three ways to use the same ingredients: Brussels sprouts, bacon, and apples (Mina likes Fujis). He explained why those ingredients go so well together: “Bacon adds a beautiful smoky fat content to the dish. Apple is going to give it some sweetness and acidity, and the Brussels sprouts give it an earthy tartness.” Watch Mina demonstrate the dishes in the video, then find the recipes below.
Michael Mina’s Brussels Sprouts Three Ways
All recipes serve one.
Recipe 1
4 strips bacon
1 ¾-inch thick slice of peeled apple, rolled in sugar
6 Brussels sprouts, blanched in boiling water for one minute, then halved
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon butter
Heat a medium-size pan over medium heat. Add bacon strips and the sugared apple slice. Cook until golden brown. Remove bacon and apple and set aside, keeping the bacon fat in the pan. Add ½ tablespoon of butter to the pan, still at medium heat. Add Brussels sprouts and apple juice. Toss for 2 minutes until caramelized. Remove from heat and toss with remaining butter. Serve hot with the crispy bacon and apple slices.
Recipe 2
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons diced bacon lardon (the fatty part)
4 tablespoons peeled and diced apples
½ cup shaved (on a mandoline, or sliced as thin as possible) Brussels sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
Add butter to a medium pan set over low heat. Add diced bacon. Occasionally scrape the bottom of the pan. After 2 minutes, add diced apples and season with salt and pepper. Once the apples are golden brown, after a few minutes, add shaved Brussels sprouts. Toss for 2 minutes in the pan until the sprouts soften. Serve hot.
Recipe 3
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup Brussels sprouts, leaves separated
2 tablespoons apple juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chives, chopped into inch long batons
Heat a medium-size pan to medium high. Add butter and Brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and add apple juice. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until sprouts are slightly softened. Garnish with chives.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
Follow the Best Bites Bloggers on Twitter at twitter.com/bestbitesblog
More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
