Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Apples in Browned Butter and Cream

Author Notes

I love the flavor beurre noisette (browned butter) gives dishes and thought I'd try it with brussels sprouts. The flavors felt like they would go together well, and then I lightened it a little with some apple and apple cider. I would have added some hazelnuts, but I'm allergic, so I added bacon lardons instead to provide some different textures and color. When browning the butter, don't be too timid or too bold. Too little browning won't add much of the nutty noisette flavor since the flavor of brussels sprouts is so bold, but too close to beurre noir and it brings out bitterness in the dish. Also make sure you use a light colored pot or you won't be able to accurately gauge how much or how quickly your butter is browning. - ChezSuzanne —TheWimpyVegetarian

Test Kitchen Notes

We, of course, loved all the flavors in this dish, but we were won over by the technique ChezSuzanne uses to pull them all together. First the sprouts are lightly steamed (and better to do this for less time so you don't overcook the sprouts later) and tossed with celery salt. Then they're folded into browned butter and cream with some bacon and apples (we used a Granny Smith) and the sauce is cooked down until it glazes the sprouts. At the very end, you add nutmeg and apple cider, infusing the whole with a fruity edge. (Don't forget to season with salt.) The first time we made these, we used half the butter by accident -- the recipe works just as well this way, there's just a little less sauce. -A&M —The Editors