brussel sprouts with bacon, shallots and figs

i dont know why brussel sprouts got such a bad reputation, because they are delish. they are a great side dish with just about any entree. sometimes, i just eat them as the entree. over cooking brussel sprouts can make them stinky. the recipe below cooks the sprouts with a hot water bath, just enough to brighten the color without the stinkiness. and as always...bacon makes everything better =)

mise en place

brussel sprouts

serves 2-4
1 dozen brussel sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and halved
4-5 cups of boiling water
3 strips of bacon, diced
1 tablespoon of shallots, minced
3 dried figs, quartered
1 1/2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper


place the brussel sprouts in a strainer that has been set in a large bowl in the sink. slowly pour the hot water over the brussel sprouts. take the strainer out of the bowl and using the same hot water, pour it over the brussel sprouts once again and let the water drain. the hot water "splash" gently cooks the brussel sprouts.


heat a large pan on medium- high heat. render the diced bacon, about 2 mins. lower the heat to medium and saute the shallots, about 2 mins. take out the bacon and shallots out of the pan and set aside. reserve some of the bacon fat in the pan, return the heat to high. add the dried figs and brussell sprouts, cut side down, until its slightly browned, about 3 mins.

toss the bacon and shallots back into the pan and season with salt and pepper. plate the brussel sprouts and top with parmesan cheese.


bon appétit~!