Tomorrow, January 31, is National Eat Brussels Sprouts day. Why is there a day devoted to Brussels sprouts? Probably because Brussels sprouts have been given a bad rap in the past. When I was a kid, Brussels sprouts were always cooked by boiling them. They were gross, like really gross (sorry Mom!). I hated them. I used to call them mutant skunk cabbages and could never understand why anyone liked them.
Then something changed. They started showing up at restaurants as side dishes. I have to admit that my initial reaction was skepticism, as I recalled the sprouts of my youth. But wait! These Brussels sprouts were actually good. They were roasted.
As previously mentioned, I’m a big fan of ginger. I love it! Since I was making a Ginger Maple Spiced Pork, I decided to match it with a maple ginger Brussels sprouts side dish. For a slight ginger flavour, I used one of my new favourite things: Giffard Ginger of the Indies (shout out to Boldworks for their challenge).
What you need:
- 2 1/4 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut into quarters
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into cubes (yes, this is a lot of butter – you can use 3/4 of a stick if you are too freaked out)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 cup Giffard Ginger of the Indies
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
What you do:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large frypan over a high heat until hot and the oil is “shimmering”.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Continue to cook over high heat without stirring until they are browned, about 2 minutes.
- Stir, so the Brussels sprouts are moved around and cook another 2 minutes
- Add the butter – cut it into pieces as you add it
- Add the brown sugar
- Add Giffard Ginger of the Indies.
- Reduce heat to medium-high, stir occasionally, until the brown sugar is melted.
- Add the maple syrup and cook, stir occasionally, until the Brussel sprouts are still slightly crisp but tender about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cider vinegar. Cook 1 more minute.
- Remove Brussels sprouts (use a slotted spoon) and place into a bowl.
- Increase heat back to high, and bring sauce to a boil.
- Cook about 3-5 minutes until the sauce slightly thick.
- Pour sauce over Brussels sprouts and stir.
- Serve (shown with Ginger Maple Spiced Pork and Spiced Israeli Couscous)
Hi Elin, Where can I get Giffard Ginger of the Indies in Ottawa? It isn’t at the LCBO. Would Stones Green Ginger Wine be a good substitute?
Thanks Tracey! I would not use Stone Ginger for this recipe. You can contact Emma or Lydia from Boldworks and I’m sure that they can make arrangements for the Giffard Ginger of the Indies.