Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As a child I really loved to eat vegetables. Brussels sprouts, Lima beans, spinach, and other foods that typically repulsed most other children were always a delicious staple in our house. (Though as a child I never enjoyed fish, of any kind, though at the heart, I believe that this might have been an issue of never having well prepared fish). I remember wandering the stalls at our local farmer’s market growing up, and always being mesmerized at the stalks of fresh Brussels sprouts. They seemed so mysterious and magical, caught somewhere between a cabbage and a snap dragon. While today it is rare for me to be able to find fresh Brussels sprouts still on the stalk, they remain one of my favorite vegetables. While I will most often just steam them (out of laziness), and eat them dipped in coarse grain mustard (which I have been doing since I was a child, strangely enough), I do like to make them in a variety of different ways. One of my favorite ways, as taught to me by my good (but imaginary) friend Ina Garten (who lives on TV), is to roast them in the oven until they are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I start by cleaning the Brussels sprouts and removing the tough tip end, and any outer leaves that are less than beautiful. I toss them with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper (and sometimes a dash of pimentón, just for fun). I then lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and pop them into a preheated 400º oven for about forty five minutes (or until nicely tender), tossing them several times to ensure even browning. Once they come out of the oven I give them an extra sprinkling of coarse sea salt, and (sometimes) a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Even people who claim not to like Brussels sprouts enjoy them cooked this way. They are really a revelation. Delicious and good for you! Happy eating everyone!