Braised Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Mustard Seeds

These braised Brussels sprouts are a true flavor bomb. The perfect side for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner! (Photo source: Lee Carter)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 50 minutes|

Ingredients

Mushroom Dashi

3 cups water

3/4 ounce dried kelp

3/4 ounce dried shiitake

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 dried korean chili (or similar dried chili)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon yondu or soy sauce

Pickled Mustard Seeds

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

Brussels Sprouts

1/2 an onion, sliced thinly

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups mushroom dashi

4 tablespoons butter

1 pound brussels sprouts

4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

a pinch of salt

1/4 cup white wine

1 recipe pickled mustard seed

(optional) 3 turns of a pepper grinder

Zero-waste tips

Thinly slice the boiled kelp and mushrooms and save to put in miso soup.

Preparation

Mushroom Dashi

Bring the water to a boil. Add the kelp, shiitake, onion, and chili. Return to a simmer and gently simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes. Strain out the vegetables and season the liquid with the salt and yondu. Note: If your stove cannot maintain a gentle simmer it is okay to turn off your pot for 10 minutes and then return to a simmer.

Pickled Mustard Seeds

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Boil with a lid on until seeds turn translucent. This should take 20-30 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce the liquid until it is almost glazing the seeds.

Brussels Sprouts

Remove the brown base of your brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Slice your onion and garlic very thinly.

Heat a sturdy sauté pan. Add oil and heat until glistening. Add onions and shake pan to evenly disperse. Wait 15 seconds, until the onions start to brown, and then flip the onions in the pan. Wait another 30 seconds and flip again. This time stir as you flip to mix the onions and make sure the brownest ones are on top. Look to see how much moisture is in your pan. If there isn’t any moisture add 1/2 teaspoon of salt now. Continue to stir your onions until they are an even dark brown. Turn off the stove and add a splash of mushroom dashi while vigorously scraping the bottom of your pan to lift up the brown bits that have stuck to it. Set your caramelized onions aside for later.

Wash your pan, return to heat, and melt your butter until it is foaming and just barely beginning to brown. Add your brussels sprouts, trying to make sure they’re face-side down in the pan, and cook on high heat until they are dark golden brown. Move them around in the pan to make sure the darkest parts don’t continue to cook and the least cooked brussels get a chance at the action. Add your garlic along with a pinch of salt and stir in the pan with the brussels for 30 seconds. Add white wine and cook until reduced. Add mushroom dashi and cook on the stove until reduced. Once the liquid is almost gone from the pan add back in your caramelized onions and pickled mustard seed. Toss everything together and serve hot.

A note on Yondu: Yondu is a versatile product made of fermented soybeans and vegetable bouillon. What makes Yondu so special is both the triple-fermenting process that yields a clean umami and the aromatic vegetables that round out the flavor. Less distinct than soy sauce, but with a greater umami punch, yondu boosts the flavors already present in a dish rather than taking center stage. You should be able to find it at a Korean grocery store, or, if you don’t have one nearby, you can find it on Amazon.