Brussels Sprouts with an Italian Twist
As Spring holidays approach, my menu planning is in full swing. Today, I wanted to focus on a simple vegetable dish for entertaining that could be served:
- for lunch or dinner,
- warm or cold,
- could be prepared ahead of time and
- would go well with roast lamb, grilled chicken, or baked ham.
What came to mind is a Brussels sprout recipe. Specifically, I wanted to try to replicate an addictive dish I had several times at one of my favorite restaurants in the Napa Valley, Bottega Napa Valley in Yountville, California. It is called Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Marcona Almonds and Pecorino (a sheep’s milk) cheese. The original recipe can be found in Chef Michael Chiarello’s book of recipes from this amazing restaurant.
The original recipe calls for a citrus vinaigrette made from juicing whole lemons, oranges, and shallots. This fruit slurry is emulsified with fresh olive oil, seasoned, and then tossed with raw, shaved Brussels sprouts, hard-boiled eggs (passed through a sieve) and crunchy Marcona almonds.
The vinaigrette recipe is actually enough for 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, which is a huge salad. Otherwise, you can save the remaining ½ cup for another use or to make the salad again another day.
I did not have all of the original recipe’s ingredients on hand the day I tested the recipe. Instead, I took the liberty of using only Meyer lemon juice (no oranges) in the vinaigrette, adding a splash of agave nectar to sweeten the lemon in the absence of orange, dicing hard-boiled eggs (instead of the sieve) and using lightly toasted California almond slices. I am quite pleased with the result and hope you will be too. It is best to let the tossed salad rest for at least an hour or two before serving so that the raw, crunchy Brussels sprout shavings can soften in the vinaigrette.
Pro tip: If you have a vacuum sealer, you can expedite marinating time with a vinaigrette or marinade recipe by combining the salad with the vinaigrette (or protein with a marinade) and then vacuum seal it. The extraction of air forces the liquid into the salad (or protein) and does the job in a fraction of the time.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Egg, Toasted Almonds, and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Adapted from Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country by Michael Chiarello
This is a great make-ahead salad, as it usually takes a couple of hours for the Brussels sprouts to soften from the vinaigrette. Depending on whether you want to serve it as a side dish (8) or an appetizer (4), it will yield 4 or 8 servings.
Ingredients
For the Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette:
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (juice of about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon Melissa’s agave nectar
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard
For the salad:
1-pound Melissa’s raw Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 hardboiled eggs, peeled and finely diced with egg slicer.
1/2 cup lightly toasted slivered, sliced or chopped almonds or Marcona almonds
1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Cracked black pepper
½ cup Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Preparation
To prepare the vinaigrette:
Place all ingredients, except the olive oil, in the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor. Blend or process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the oil until it is emulsified. There will be about 1 cup.
To prepare the salad:
Slice the Brussels thinly with a food processor and slicing attachment or with a mandolin. Place sliced Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Add diced egg, cheese, and almonds. Toss well. Add half of the vinaigrette and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may not need salt if using salted almonds or cheese. You may pass extra dressing separately or save for another use.
