Description
Maple bourbon sauce elevates humble brussels sprouts into a culinary masterpiece that delights taste buds with rich, caramelized complexity. Crisp edges and glossy glaze promise a side dish so irresistible you’ll want seconds before finishing firsts.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) brussels sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, halved
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ounces (60 milliliters) bourbon
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) candied pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425F (220C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for even roasting.
- Coat Brussels sprouts with olive oil, seasoning generously with salt and pepper to enhance flavor profile.
- Distribute sprouts across prepared baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring maximum caramelization during roasting.
- Roast vegetables for 20-25 minutes until edges turn crispy and centers become tender.
- Simultaneously cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until perfectly crisp and golden, approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Transfer bacon to paper towels, reserving delicious browned bits in the skillet.
- Deglaze pan with bourbon and balsamic vinegar, scraping accumulated flavor bits from bottom of skillet.
- Incorporate maple syrup and brown sugar into liquid, allowing mixture to simmer and reduce for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Remove sauce from heat and gently fold roasted Brussels sprouts into the glossy mixture.
- Crumble prepared bacon and toasted pecans over the glazed vegetables for added texture and depth.
- Transfer to serving dish, ensuring each sprout is beautifully coated with the rich maple bourbon sauce.
Notes
- Crisp the Brussels sprouts by using a high-temperature oven and ensuring they are not overcrowded on the baking sheet for perfect caramelization.
- Opt for thick-cut bacon to enhance the smoky flavor and provide substantial texture in the final dish.
- Adjust the bourbon quantity based on personal taste preferences, using less for a milder sauce or more for deeper complexity.
- Make this dish vegetarian by substituting bacon with smoked paprika or liquid smoke for a similar depth of flavor and omitting the bacon.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 222 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 1025 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg