Today we will make together these easy brussels sprouts with lemon and smoked bacon, a simple four-ingredients side dish recipe. This recipe shines on Christmas Eve, served alongside roast turkey. But it's also a versatile dish that complements pork or beef beautifully.
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A few words about Brussels sprout, which is the main ingredient of the recipe is a cultivated plant of the same species as broccoli, cabbage or kale. Brussels sprouts appear to have been first cultivated in the 13th century near Brussels, Belgium, and that's how they got their name.
This recipe has several options, and I will show you mine, the simple version you can modify by adding other ingredients.
We Need Four Ingredients
As I said, from the Brussels sprouts with lemon, we need only four ingredients. They are brussels sprouts, smoked bacon (or pancetta), lemon and chives.
Because I will cook four portions, I will use 500 g of Brussels sprouts and 225 g of smoked bacon (I took sliced but maybe cubes). I'll also need one lemon for both its zest and juice, and a bunch of chives (spring onions can be used instead).
How to Make the Brussels Sprouts With Lemon?
Preparing the Ingredients
Preparing the ingredients does not take much time, and we will start with Brussels sprouts. If you buy fresh sprouts, must be clean first.
With a knife, I removed the first leaves from them and cut off the excess stem and then washed them. If they are of different sizes or are too big among them, I usually cut them in half.
If you use frozen Brussels sprouts, you don't have to do anything with them because they are already cleaned.
Since the smoked bacon was already sliced, I cut the strips again crosswise to create pieces that are as similar in size as possible. This ensures they will all cook evenly and quickly. Also, if you use smoked bacon ready cut into cubes, you do not have to do anything; use it as such.
All I have to do is finely chop the chives because I will grate the lemon and squeeze it directly into the pan.
Boil the Sprouts
As I said, there are several ways to cook Brussels sprouts. Sulforaphane can make broccoli a bit, well, intense. So, to mellow things out, I parboil the florets first. This quick boil gets rid of some of that sulforaphane, making the broccoli taste milder.
To do this, I boil them in boiling water with a little salt for five minutes, then drain them in a strainer.
Fry the Beacon and Mix
Meanwhile, in a larger non-stick pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and put the sliced smoked bacon to fry. Season with half a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Fry for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat until all the fat in the bacon melts.
Add the drained Brussels sprouts over the bacon and mix lightly to not crush them but to absorb all the lard left by the bacon.
Now I'll grate the lemon zest on top and squeeze the juice from half a lemon, add the chopped chives and let everything simmer for about three minutes. Taste, and if you need to add more salt, I put another half teaspoon.
And that's it, and this is my version of the Brussels sprouts with lemon and smoked bacon, especially delicious and ready to be served.
If you want, now you can add other ingredients such as nuts, hazelnuts, pecans or even raisins, depending on the taste of each. I preferred to leave it that simple.
How to Serve the Brussels Sprouts?
I like to serve it hot with a roast of turkey or chicken and a glass of cold beer, it is delicious, and I invite you to try it.
If you liked my recipe for Brussels sprouts with lemon, I recommend you try other side dish ideas on our blog, such as:
- Grated Summer Squash Stew Recipe
- Best Sauteed Savoy Cabbage Recipe
- Green Beans in Tomato Sauce
- Best Simple Potato Salad Recipe
- Easy Polenta Recipe
- French Fries-Deep Fried Potato Recipe
- Quick and Easy Homemade Coleslaw Recipe
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Brussels Sprouts With Lemon
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 500 g Brussels sprouts fresh
- 225 g smoked bacon cut into strips
- 1 piece lemon zest
- ½ piece lemon juice
- 1 bunch chives chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt kosher
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Remove the first leaves from sprouts and cut off the excess stem. Cut the bacon into strips and chop the chives.
- Add the Brussels sprouts in boiling water with a little salt for five minutes, after which drain them in a strainer.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan and put the sliced smoked bacon to fry. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and fry for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat until all the fat in the bacon melts.
- Add the drained Brussels sprouts over the bacon, grate the lemon zest on top and squeeze the juice from half a lemon, add the chopped chives and let everything simmer for about three minutes.
- Taste and if necesary add more salt.
- Serve warm with roast turkey, chicken or pork.
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