*Vegan
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Punch of kosher salt (like a pinch, but bigger. See Brasco, Donnie.)
Punch of ground black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Truffle salt
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Wash your sprouts well. Remove the tough outer leaves, trim the stems, and cut each sprout in half lengthwise.
3. Put the sprouts in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss until the sprouts are well coated. Add the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic vinegar and toss to combine.
4. Place the Brussels sprouts on the lined baking sheet, cut side down. Don’t crowd them like a Japanese subway car. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Pull the baking sheet from the oven and flip the sprouts cut side up. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
6. Some sprouts should be deep brown and crispy—almost oven-fried. Others will be caramelized and slightly crispy. I don’t know what kind of oven you’re working with, so if they don’t look like the picture, give them a couple more minutes until they do.
7. Sprinkle with truffle salt. Serve and eat while hot—cold Brussels sprouts are nasty.
#BASIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS: The very least you can do—and still have awesome sprouts—is drizzle them with a little olive oil, hit them with salt and pepper, toss them on a baking sheet, and roast at 400°F for 30 minutes.