SERVES 4
Brussels sprouts don’t deserve their bad rap. Anyone who doesn’t like them hasn’t tried mine! I mean, they’re sautéed in bacon fat, for crying out loud. Magnificent!
1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed, bottoms trimmed, and sliced in half
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Blanch Brussels sprouts by cooking them for 1 to 2 minutes in salted boiling water, then plunging them into an ice-water bath and draining.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Turn off heat and remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet and pour out the rest.
Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add Brussels sprouts and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until brown and tender. Add balsamic vinegar to deglaze pan and toss with Parmesan and salt and pepper.
THE SALINE SOLUTION
Let’s talk sodium. When you watch cooking shows, it always seems as though the chefs are adding a lot of salt. True, but it’s probably kosher salt, which is not the same as the usual pinch of table salt. Kosher salt is less potent than the stuff your mother probably had on her spice rack. It’s an easy upgrade, and one I’m glad I made, though I do miss that little girl with the umbrella on the Morton’s packaging. She was my only friend for a short period in junior high.