Crispy Chilli Brussel Sprout Flowers

Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The other day, as I was tediously grooming and cutting my brussel sprouts, I stumbled across something I doubt many people have stumbled across. Brussel sprouts can be pretty! They're actually a good candidate for major food porn, up there with the ramen burgers and deep fried croissants. At least they are to me. 

I realised this when I was being lazy with my cutting and decided to not really cut them properly and came up with what I like to call 'brussel sprout flowers'. 

They are life changing. I can already picture it. Little fingers and toes reaching for brussel sprouts in kitchens around the world and nixing the processed stuff. I realise I can't just blurt out such an extreme statement with out an explanation so here it is: nowadays, we've all had 'amazing' brussel sprouts once or twice in our gourmet restaurant excursions. Usually, that's because they're deep fried (and not 'amazing' for you) and anything deep fried is 'amazing'.  Sometimes they can be good when roasted, but the tops and outsides get crispy and the insides gets all soft and let's be real - brussel spout-ey. You see, like any complicated creature, brussel sprouts have layers. By making these 'flowers', (instructions to follow) each layer of these little guys is exposed and in turn, each layer is crispy. If we could all just make one little change to the way we make our brussel sprouts,  we could be on our way to making the world a better place!

 





YOU WILL NEED:
500G LARGE FRESH BRUSSEL SPROUTS
OLIVE OIL
1 TSP CHILLI POWDER
SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
HONEY

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C or 390 F.

Cut a small part of the bottom of the brussel sprout off and discard any blemished part around the first layer.

With a knife, make two slices in an 'x' shape from the top, making sure not to cut too far down, keeping the brussel sprout still in one piece.

Starting with the outer layers, carefully unfold each layer backwards.

Drizzle olive oil on a lined baking tray. Spread the brussel sprouts out evenly, open flower side up. Once laid out, evenly spray or drizzle them with more olive oil. (Make sure they are all evenly covered but don't use too much oil as it can weigh them down and soften them).

Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, ground black pepper and the chilli powder (adding less or more to your hotness preference). Drizzle generously with honey.

Roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Enjoy as a side or as a snack!

<3 Emanuelle