Brussels Sprouts With Chorizo And Aioli Recipe

Brussels sprouts are one of the more unexpected food fads to emerge in recent years. Seemingly overnight, they went from being an unpleasant childhood memory to becoming a trendy appetizer and the subject of experimentation for many a food blogger. Maybe it's the way we were cooking them all along that's the problem — boiling them to within an inch of their life. It turns out there are a number of ways to make them more appealing, including cooking them up tapas-style, as developer Patterson Watkins does with this Brussels sprouts with chorizo and aioli recipe. Tapas, she says, can be "a clever combo of sweet and tart soothed or enhanced by rich, smoky, or aromatic ingredients." Her own recipe brings out the best in the sprouts by making "...bold use of sherry vinegar, Spanish chorizo, and garlic," in addition to having "balancing elements of honey, and butter, to go with the bitter-ish Brussels sprouts."

Watkins feels that this dish is "pretty versatile and evergreen." While you could eat this flavorful meat and vegetable dish as a snack or an appetizer, she suggests that it can also be "part of a larger tapas-style feast or a side dish to accompany Spanish main dishes." It's also a great twist on a classic to liven up a holiday meal.

The aioli in this recipe is made from garlic, salt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, an egg yolk, and olive oil. For the Brussels sprouts and chorizo, you will need both of these, plus butter, sherry vinegar, honey, and pepper.

Place garlic and salt on a cutting board and use the side of your knife to chop and press the garlic to create a paste.

Transfer the garlic paste to a medium bowl and add the lemon juice and mustard, whisk to combine.

Add the egg yolk to the bowl and whisk to combine.

While vigorously whisking, add the olive oil to the bowl in a thin stream. Stopping occasionally to whisk without the oil if the mixture looks like it is separating.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once melted, add the Brussels sprouts.

Saute for 8 minutes.

Add the chorizo to the skillet, stir to combine, and continue to saute for 5 minutes more.

Add the sherry vinegar and honey to the skillet, stir to combine, and continue to saute for 4-5 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are tender.

Season the Brussels sprouts to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the Brussels sprouts between plates and drizzle with aioli.

Because Watkins was inspired by tapas when developing this recipe, she went with Spanish-style chorizo, which is dry-cured, with a consistency similar to pepperoni, a smoky flavor, and varying degrees of spiciness. You can also use the uncooked and much spicier Mexican chorizo if you prefer or if it's easier for you to find. Even though Mexican chorizo is very different from the Spanish kind, Watkins tells us "You can absolutely use this style of chorizo in your recreation of this recipe," but adds, "Just be prepared for a slightly different end result." As she explains, "Your Brussels sprouts will be spicier and less smoky," and she suggests adding smoked paprika to balance out the flavor. The most important change this substitution will make to the recipe, though, is that Mexican chorizo needs to be seared, browned, and drained before you add it to the pan with the sprouts.

Yet another ingredient swap you might want to make is that of substituting a different type of vinegar for the sherry vinegar that Watkins favors. According to the developer, rice vinegar is your best bet. As she tells us, it's "...less acidic than standard wine vinegar and has a similar sweetness" to that of sherry vinegar. You can use red or white wine vinegar if need be, but in that case, Watkins advises, "Adjust the honey a little bit to balance the extra acidity."

Aioli isn't the easiest condiment to master. In fact, as Watkins characterizes the process, "Making homemade aioli is like earning a culinary merit badge." One of the main problems you may have when making this sauce is something she calls "breakage," meaning that the ingredients separate and fail to emulsify properly. If this happens, she says, "You need to pause or slow down on the oil ... stop pouring and keep whisking." When you do, she says, "Your aioli should perk right up," meaning that it will thicken and be perfectly blended and smooth.

Watkins acknowledges that many aioli recipes allow for the use of a blender or food processor, but tells us, "I do not recommend those methods for this recipe." She feels that these appliances only work well when you're making larger amounts of aioli. As you'll only be making a little bit here, she suggests that you stick with hand-whisking, declaring that "Old school is the right school for this dish."