Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Fennel
Brussel sprouts: either you love them or you hate them! I love them. Tiny little bundles of flavor. Funny, I really don’t like cabbage and they are the mini-me of cabbage. When I was a kid Brussels were pretty gross. We didn’t get fresh ones, only the frozen ones in the small waxy box. Once cooked they were so mushy that no one really liked them but it was something green on the plate. As you may remember from an earlier post, passed down 3 generations to me is the concept that there has to be something green on the dinner plate, no matter what! And my mother and grandmother made damn sure you got your veggies at their table.
Here is my updated take on Brussel Sprouts. Roasted til crispy, the sprouts and fennel compliment each other perfectly. I like to add Aleppo pepper when I have it for a little zing but smoked paprika does a nice job of adding smokiness. I use a cast iron skillet for consistent roasting and beautiful browning. It also looks cool to serve in, so one pan clean up. Some people are intimidated by cast iron because you have to season and hand wash but I find them to be quite easy. Reach out to me for tips on cast iron cooking.
There are so many ways to serve this dish. It is wonderful as a starter with a sprinkle of sea salt. I usually serve it as a side dish to fish or scallops. If you are a meat eater there is nothing like the combination of pork tenderloin and Brussels. This could also be fantastic as part of a Thanksgiving feast!
Oh and just as an aside, we were in Brussels this summer and didn’t eat any! We did drink Belgian beer and eat Belgian Frites! Yum and Ohhhh the Mussels in Brussels too!!!
Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Fennel
Equipment
- 10 inch cast iron skillet you can also use a sheet pan or other oven proof pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussel sprouts, stems trimmed and outer leaves removed and halved lengthwise
- 1 bulb of fresh fennel, sliced in rings about ⅛ in thick
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp course ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or Aleppo pepper if using Aleppo increase amount to 1 tsp if course ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet on stove top on medium high.
- Add sprouts and fennel to the heated oil and toss well.
- Sprinkle with spices and toss again. Slightly browning.
- Turn all Brussels cut side down and transfer to oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until browned outside and tender inside. Fennel should be crispy but not burned.
- Serve hot!