Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Warm Butter & Vinegar Dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Trim and cut brussels sprouts in half

3. Toss brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt and arrange them on a steel/heavy baking sheet face down.  For a better crisp/roast do not crowd the sheet (crowded brussels will steam)

   

4. Cook undisturbed for 15 minutes to allow a sear on bottom and some crisped leaves on top

5. While brussels cook: In a medium bowl (large enough to accommodate the brussels after roasting) use the back of a spoon or a fork to mash and disintegrate the anchovies as best as you can.  The goal is to blend them into the dressing (visually) imperceptibly.

6. Optional:  If you are adding shallot to the dressing this is the time to mince the shallot and let it soak for a few minutes with the vinegar only in a separate small bowl. The addition of shallots gives more texture to the dish and a light allium flavor.  If you like an even stronger flavor skip the shallot and grate in a whole raw garlic clove—no extra texture but a bigger kick.

7. Add vinegar (or the above vinegar/shallot mix), mustard, melted butter, and a few rounds of fresh ground black pepper to the mashed anchovies and whisk to emulsify. 

   

8. Check that brussels are ready

   

9. Mix brussels into emulsified dressing and gently toss

   

10. Plate and serve right away.

    

11. Note on Salt:  I have not added salt to the dressing because anchovies are usually pretty salty and I was using salted butter.  You will want to taste your dressing and adjust salt as needed.

12. Note on Mixing Dressing:  The dressing as written should provide a good coating to the amount of brussels sprouts in the recipe.  I am dumping the brussels right into the dressing bowl simply to cut back on the number of dishes that need to be washed.  If you would like to meter the dressing used a bit more, I would have one small bowl for the dressing and then a medium bowl just for mixing the brussels and the dressing to the coating level you prefer.

13. Note on (convenience) Pairing:  I like pairing this with oven roasted salmon.  Not just for the taste but because it lets me do it all in the oven at the same time.  Just salt well two salmon pieces (just enough for two portions) and let them cook in the oven for about as long as the brussels on their own baking sheet.  The salmon (especially Atlantic)  should be fat enough to cook without needing additional oil.  Super simple and an all-oven recipe with minimal clean-up (I put foil on the salmon baking sheet and cook it skin down—when I remove the salmon the skin sticks to the foil which then makes for easy toss and no clean action on the baking sheet…).  I like doing the brussels with direct contact to a baking sheet for a better sear.