Brooklyn Brussels and Salad

A sweet and savory adaptation of brussels. 

Despite my disliking of the American green grocer and it's questionable (and unknown) quality, one vegetable that I have taken such a huge liking to is brussels. I never really grew up eating them and I never really remember seeing them much in grocers, but they always had the stigma of being unsavory - 'eat your brussels', force feeding children. Here they are plentiful, cheap and delicious. Every second restaurant will serve them seasonally. Seasonal foods are all the rage. They are cooked many delicious ways, so when I spent time unemployed I learnt to cook well with them. A complete matter of trial and error. Undoubtedly, brussels must be cooked in good butter. Try it and die. But from this platform you can really start to play with sweet and also savory to build an amazing brussels dish. 

I have named my brussels Brooklyn Brussels because I've spent a great deal of time cooking them out here, and also enjoying them at so many restaurants. I died when summer came round and they had been ripped from all of the menus around the city. But now as winter comes round, they are again everywhere and even more delectable. 

I've cooked brussels as I always do and then added them to a salad that you can have warm or cold, served with mixed nuts and fruits, rice and egg.

Ingredients

Serves 4 – 6 people

Brussels

1 Pound of Brussels

3 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Pickapeppa Sauce ( a Jamaican Worcestershire)

2 tbsp Light Brown Sugar 

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 

3 tbsp BBQ Sauce (smokey)

1 tbsp Burnt Sugar

Cumin (sprinkle)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions

In a hot cast iron pan, melt butter and start to cook the brussels. Using a cast iron pan will help brown and cook the brussels immediately. You want them to brown well before adding the sauces

Once they start to brown, add the wet ingredients, mixing well and follow with the dry ingredients. Turn down the heat from high to low and cook until the sauces really meld and cook through with the brussels. The smoky BBQ sauce will add a wonderful taste paired with bitter brussels and salt, the combination of all of the sweeter ingredients works wonders. These can be enjoyed as is, or as a side dish. 

Brussels and Salad

This is to make more of a hefty meal, or a larger side serving. It's great for dinner parties, cheap and most of all, it's all senses engaging dish. Looks, smells and tastes good. The texture of the dish is curious too. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Mixed Fruit and Nuts

Balsamic Marinated Chicken

2 Eggs 

1 cup White Rice

While cooking the brussels, add the mixed nuts and let them heat and soften. Once done, combine with cooked white rice and toss. For some color and texture add 2 diced hard boiled eggs, keep the yoke soft if you'd like. It's runny and will mix beautifully through the salad. Serve either hot or cold. 

A Cloisters Inspired Feast

Baked sweet apple & salted pumpkin stuffed with pork, bacon & anchovies, drizzled with salted caramel.

After taking an escape trip up to The Cloisters, I was left feeling inspired to create the perfect dish to welcome the season and an onslaught of fall eating. While sitting up at a beautiful wine bar in the surrounding park gardens, I penned together a sumptuous dinner to share with friends on a cozy fall’s night.  I have never had a festive American fall before and wanted to have an inaugural feast, marking the occasion. The meal had to embody all of my favorite comfort foods but also reflect fall.

I have included a few photos from the day to paint the picture. I took up a picnic of baguettes and apples and found picturesque places to rest and soak up the surroundings.

The Recipe

The recipe serves for an average of four people.

Ingredients

2 Fuji Apples

1 Pie Making Pumpkin

1/2 Pound of Minced Pork

6 Rations of Bacon

4 Anchovies

2 Cloves of Garlic

A Bunch of Baby Spinach

A Handful of Arugula

4 Field Mushrooms

1/2 tsp of Cinnamon

1/2 tsp of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

1 tbsp of Salted Caramel

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil  

Salted Caramel

Butter

1/2 Cup of Raw Cane Sugar

2 tbsp Molasses

2 tbsp Bacon Fat

1 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar

1 tbsp Honey

Salt to taste

Method

Start by preheating the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  I have chosen Fuji apples because of their sweetness and even more so for the quality when baked; you are always left with a firm, but sweet treat. The choice of the pie making pumpkin came by accident, but worked for the best. I initially wanted a pumpkin you could eat entirely. However the firmness of the pie making pumpkin provided for extra heat and insulation when baking. 

Start by coring the pumpkin and then covering the outside with salt and olive oil. Rubbing the outside will help heat and cook the insides evenly. Take both apples, wrap them in baking paper and tie a piece of cooking string around the middle. This will help collect and contain the juices the apple releases.

While baking, make the stuffing. Start with frying up the bacon. The use of bacon provides lubrication and needed oil for the stuffing. Fry until crisp and chop into small pieces to add to the minced pork. I always like to add anchovies because they provide a natural saltiness to any meat dish without overpowering. The anchovies eventually dissolve and meld into the meat. Dice them with garlic, mushrooms and arugula and add to the mixture. Finish by adding the baby spinach, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. This must always be done with hands, as to achieve a finer melding of flavors. Sit the stuffing aside to marinate.

Bubbling Salted Caramel 

On a low heat, melt a small knob of butter. When heated, add cane sugar and cook until a dark syrup has formed. Soon after, add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook on a low heat until the mixture thickens. I chose to include polar opposite flavors to create a caramel to reflect how sweet and savory fall can really be. It works extremely well against the pork stuffing too. Leave it to sit and meld also. 

After baking the apples for 20 minutes, take them out and core them, leaving ample room for the stuffing. Stuff tightly and place excess on top. Leave to sit for 10 minutes, and then remove the pumpkin after 35 minutes of baking in total. Stuff the pumpkin and place both apples and pumpkin back in the oven and bake again for another 25 – 30 minutes. Always check with a thermometer or a skewer to test the inside of the pumpkin, as there is double to cook.

Stuffing Semi Baked Apples

When cooked, place all three items on a thick chopping board to plate. Reheat the salted caramel and drizzle generously; allowing the caramel to pour over and cover the skins, it looks magnificent. Don’t forget to replace the pumpkin top after you drizzle the beautiful caramel.

This fall platter should be served with something lighter, to create a balance against such a rich center piece. I cooked traditional Brussels with Worcestershire Sauce and cane sugar on a bed of arugula. This fall feast should be enjoyed with a beautiful pinot noir, again something warm, but light against sheer decadence.   

Enjoy! 

Marty Tsang

Brussels Ready!