These are the brussel sprouts for those who hate brussel sprouts, or think they hate brussel sprouts. My dad absolutely hates brussel sprouts, and he destroyed these. My mom shook her head and raved, “I eat brussels all the time, but those are the best I’ve ever had. Makes no sense. They’re even good cold”. Well, neither party is lying here. These are just damn good brussel sprouts. Bacon and brussels go together like eggs and avocado. They’re just a match made in mouth heaven. Throw in a few dried cranberries to soak up some of that white wine and we’ve got ourselves a party. The brussels cook up tender and caramelized, full of delicious flavor, sure to please any skeptic. They aren’t the least bit bitter, and sure to be a great addition to your holiday table.
Brussel sprouts should be tender, but not soggy. Braising them allows us to develop color AND lots of flavor. The cut sides get nice and caramelized, and the wine just absorbs into the leaves giving you an incredible taste. The smokey bacon and sweet shallots pair nicely with the heat from the crushed red pepper and Herbes de Provence — then the magic happens when you toss in some sweet/tart dried cranberries and that last minute hit of honey. Oh boy…flavor overload. Very simple yet very delicious. There are tons of ways to cook and flavor brussel sprouts, but this is a quick and delicious way to introduce them to your regular diet. They are packed with nutrition and with proper love and care, can be transformed from a childhood fear to an adult delicacy.
OMG these are SO good!! Let’s get started, shall we?
24 ounces of brussel sprouts, ready for some action
Cut the dirty little ends off each brussel sprout. We don’t need those.
1. Trimmed ends, peeled the ugly and bruised outer leaves, 2. Rinse the brussels under cold water to remove any loose dirt, 3. Whoa! These are huge. Slice each brussel in half, lengthwise, 4. Ready
Slice 4 ounces of whatever bacon you have on hand into lardons, like this!
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. I’m using cast iron, you can use whatever you have on hand.
Peel and slice one shallot.
1. Cook bacon in olive oil and separate the strips with a wooden spoon, 2. Add a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flake and stir around, 3. Add a good pinch of Herbes de Provence and stir, 4. Allow the bacon to develop some color, then add the shallots, breaking them up with the wooden spoon.
Mince two small cloves of garlic and set aside.
Once the bacon is crisp and golden, remove everything from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind. Set aside.
Here’s what we have leftover. A good amount of fat to coat just the very bottom of the skillet. This is good! If you have too much fat, pour some of it out. You literally just want enough to coat the pan, about 3 tablespoons or so, depending on the size of your skillet and how many sprout halves you have.
1. Arrange each half of your brussel sprouts into the pan, cut-side down, 2. Cover and sear for just 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges begin to caramelize, 3. Add your wine and water to the brussels, 4. Add the coarse sea salt, black pepper, garlic, cranberries, and bacon and shallot mixture on top, allowing the cranberries to sink into the wine.
1. Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated and brussels are easily pierced with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Remove pan from heat, drizzle honey over brussels and toss gently to combine. Allow the honey to completely melt into the dish. Serve and enjoy!
Jeeeeeeez
the flavors…whew!
everything just works together.
your kids may even love these..
Heavens…these are SO good! *shakes fist*
I implore you to make these, immediately. My dad, who really hates brussels, has paid me to make these for him — they’re that good. They’ll make anyone a believer!
Print
White Wine Braised Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Cranberries
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 24 oz. (1 1/2 pounds) Brussel Sprouts, ends trimmed, bruised outer leaves removed, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive or coconut oil
- 4 oz bacon (roughly 4 slices), sliced into lardons/thin strips
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup white wine (*see note below*)
- 1/2 cup water (*see note below*)
- 1/2 cup, or small handful dried cranberries
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flake (use as much or as little as you can tolerate)
- 1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
- 1 tbsp raw honey
Instructions
- In a large skillet, pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and separate the lardons with a wooden spoon. Add crushed red pepper, herbes de provence, and continue to render the bacon until it starts to get lightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and continue to cook until the bacon is nice and crispy, and the shallots are translucent and just beginning to caramelize, about another 3-4 minutes. Once bacon is crisp, remove all contents from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving about 3 to 4 tablespoons of fat in the skillet (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). If you have too much fat leftover, please discard some of it.
- Arrange each brussel sprout, cut-side down into the skillet in an even layer. Immediately cover your skillet to trap the steam and let the brussels caramelize on their own, about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Off heat, carefully add the white wine, it may bubble up fiercely! The amount of wine you use will be determined by how large your skillet is, and how many brussels you have. You may need more or less, but the wine should not completely cover the brussel sprouts — it should rise maybe 1/4 of the way up. Add the salt and pepper, garlic, bacon, and cranberries — pushing the cranberries into the wine as much as you can. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Check the bottoms of the brussels often to make sure they don’t burn too much (although even when they get super dark they’re still amazing). If your wine is evaporating too quickly, add the 1/2 cup of water, at little at a time. Braise the brussels in the white wine and water (if needed) for about 8-15 minutes (depending on the size of your brussels), or until you can easily pierce them with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Thy should be tender but NOT mushy.
- Once the brussels are tender and the liquid has evaporated and soaked into each sprout, turn off the heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of honey all over the entire dish and GENTLY toss to combine, letting the heat melt the honey through every nook and crannie. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Total amount of wine used will depend greatly on the size of the skillet you’re using. A 12″ skillet will use about 3/4 cup, so if you’re using something smaller or larger than that, please adjust accordingly. Use the water if your wine is evaporating too quickly. You just want to keep the brussels moist long enough to braise until they’re tender, but not mushy.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
This sounds divine! & lucky me I have all ingredients in my kitchen. Is it possible to use fresh cranberries instead? & if so, how do I cut the tartness of them?
I’m new here but after many raves on your dishes on twitter I came over to see how I could spruce up my Thanksgiving meal this year.
Hate to ask this as I know most chefs don’t want to alter the greatness they created but my family is full of non pork eaters, do you think turkey bacon would be a good substitute?
if they like turkey bacon, sure. personally, i can’t stand it lol.
Amazing dish. I added a tablespoon of butter in the last 5 mins of saute. Delish!
Can I omit the cranberries in this recipe? It’s spring/summer in South Florida and i can’t find any.
try dried!
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were a hit! A double bath was requested for Christmas and they were just as yummy. Great recipe!!
I’ve never had anything quite like these. So much flavor as each bite was more than I could handle. I wanted more, but there were only a few left for the next person to endulge in. It was a teasing process, but so worth it. It is on my bucket list to try this recipe and very soon for my friends. A recipe worth sharing.
This is THE BEST EVER recipe for brussel sprouts!! They are amazing and my entire family will eat them: kids ages 22-8 and all the adults love them! Try it out and you will be a believer in a serving brussel sprouts again to your family!!