Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette, A Comforting Sort

Wait. Did I just give you a Brussels sprouts recipe last week?  Yes, yes I did.  And I have since singlehandedly taken down two additional pounds of sprouts in two days. I don't blame you if you want to turn back now. 

But I saw this other Brussels sprouts recipe and I had to go for it.  I am a glutton for Brassica.  So I am doubling down here.

I should probably clarify something: this recipe is really not about the sprouts.  It’s about the sauce.  The sprouts are a mere sauce carrier. And I was lucky to have some leftover last night because I did what you might refer to as a clean sweep of the fridge and kitchen cabinets for dinner. 

The leftover sprouts sauce was poured over some warm purple potatoes I had to use up.  And so Dave, my boyfriend, and I sat down to an unusual meal of Momofuku marinated purple potatoes and bowls of chicken broth with cilantro, garlic … and meatballs.  A meal that Dave—with his extensive restaurant background—referred to as a “staff meal” of sorts.

If you aren’t familiar with such a concept, staff meal is a collation which kitchen employees often make using of end bits of produce, proteins, and grains.  The selections tend to be motley in nature.  And sometimes it can get downright weird. 

Luckily, Dave described the potatoes as “oddly comforting,” as he started forking them from the serving bowl.  I don’t have a picture of this for you because, well, they’re long gone.  But slightly mushy purple potatoes aren’t exactly knockouts in the looks department, anyway. 

This recipe is a knockout though.  And—depending on the amount of sprouts you have and your personal saucing habits—you may find yourself with some extra vinaigrette that would take very kindly to any number of leftovers.  So, sure, you could make this dish for your Thanksgiving table.  But you could also use the vinaigrette to flavor your holiday remainders. 

Think of it as a component for a Thanksgiving staff meal of sorts. A motley gathering of leftovers. And, with any luck, an oddly comforting assortment.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Adapted from Food52 and Momofuku

Ingredients:

for the sprouts

2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, halved

A few tbsp of grapeseed or canola oil

for the vinaigrette

½ cup fish sauce

¼ cup water

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

juice of 1 lime

¼ cup sugar

1 garlic clove

1 serrano chile, finely diced (seeded if you want less spice)

2 tbsp cilantro stems, finely diced (see below)

3 tbsp chopped mint

plus ½ cup cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the Brussels sprouts with enough oil to cover the bottom of a sheet pan (about two tablespoons give or take).  (Roast them cut side down; once the cut sides have browned you can toss them with a spatula if you wish.) The sprouts are ready when they are tender and browned; start checking after 10-15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Fish sauces can vary in flavor, so taste and add a little more water or lime juice if your mixture tastes really salty.

When the sprouts are done and you are ready to serve them, toss them with the vinaigrette to taste. (You may have leftover sauce depending on the size of your sprouts and how much you actually use; I had about a ½ cup vinaigrette remaining.)  Toss with cilantro leaves.

Yield will vary depending on the size of your Brussels sprouts (mine were small from the farmers’ market and yielded about 3 cups)

Notes:

-Make sure your sprouts aren’t wet when you roast them or they won’t crisp up as much.

-The excess vinaigrette will keep for a week in the fridge.

- He may kill me for doing this … but this is a very nice article on Dave and his quest for mushrooms.

-The other David. David Chang, from Momofuku, will be talking at Harvard on Monday the 26^th.  It’s free, but it’s first come first serve for seats.