About the Recipe
I was lucky enough to grab the last stalk (giant wand? baton? medieval weapon?!) of Brussels Sprouts at the market last Saturday from Country Stand Farm who brings them to us in their original growth form. Each stalk is about 24 to 48 inches in height and produces 20 to 40 sprouts (auxiliary buds, which are essentially baby cabbages). While it is a bit labor-intensive to cut them off the stalk, keep in mind they are cheaper to buy this way and stay fresher on the stalk than when cut off and stored loose. Nutritionally, they are full of cancer-fighting phytochemicals called glucosinolates, and are an excellent source of folic acid, vitamins A, C and K (so go easy if you're taking an anticoagulant medicine), and beta-carotene. They are among the veggies that get sweeter after a frost, so now is the time to enjoy them. Even with their increasing popularity, most notably in their roasted-and-mixed-with-bacon guise, there are still critics. This is a winning side dish that might convince even the most skeptical. If you want to keep the recipe vegetarian, substitute mushroom or a non-sweet vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
-Christine, Market VP and lover of Barbie-sized cabbages
Ingredients
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1½ teaspoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the gratin topping:
1 cup bread crumbs made from dry bread
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1½ teaspoons ( tablespoon) maple syrup (grade B preferred)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º F with a rack in the middle or lower middle position.
Remove hard stem end and any bruised or wilted leaves from Brussels sprouts. Shred them using the slicing disc of a food processor, alternately use a mandoline set at 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, or slice them by hand. Set aside.
Whisk together remaining main ingredients (not the topping ones) in a medium bowl. Stir in the shredded Brussels sprouts, then transfer mixture to a gratin or shallow baking pan (a 1-quart gratin or an 8-inch square baking pan). Spread in an even layer.
Combine the gratin topping ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss until the crumbs are well-coated and the mixture comes together evenly. Sprinkle in an even layer over Brussels sprouts.
Bake until the topping is golden brown in the center and dark golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes. [Editors' note: Our gratin took about 50 minutes to uniformly brown.] Rotate the pan after 20 minutes to promote even browning. Serve immediately.