Whether the Bills win or lose. . .
Buffalo wings might be top of the Super Bowl app bracket, but these brussels sprouts are coming for an upset. Drizzled with homemade buffalo sauce and topped with a smattering of blue cheese and green onion, these crispy roasted Buffalo sprouts will be the first app gone at any party you bring them to.
Getting a thick, luscious Buffalo sauce can be tricky, since it tends to separate quickly, become runny when it’s too hot, and, conversely, congeal when it cools. Simmering the sauce until it’s slightly reduced concentrates the flavor and thickens it slightly so that, even when the sauce is warm, it’s not too runny. Adding a little honey balances and elevates the spice, while also creating a smoother texture and a gloriously glossy sheen. One final tip: make the sauce as soon as the sprouts go into the oven so it has time to cool slightly in the pot before using. It will separate as it sits, but should come back together with some vigorous whisking—and at this slightly cooler temperature, it should hold together more easily.
There’s a time and place for prepacked blue cheese crumbles. This isn’t it. Instead, look for a hearty wedge of the bluest-veined cheese you can find and break it up yourself. It will taste better, and you’ll also get more variation in the size and texture of the pieces. Also, you won’t have to eat through that dry powdery layer on the outside of the crumbles. Trust me: it’s not delicious.
I’m a firm believer in the power and overriding importance of blue cheese dressing wherever there’s buffalo anything, so I went a step further and created an optional blue cheese dressing to accompany the sprouts. Think of it as a little side car situation: optional for some, totally necessary to others. This recipe makes over a cup, so it’s definitely more than you’ll need for these sprouts, but I can personally testify to its multipurpose abilities as a salad dressing, chip dip, and everything in between.
Enjoy!
Buffalo Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(Serves 4)
For the blue cheese dressing:
1 garlic clove, grated
¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled, divided
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. whole milk, plus more as needed
¼ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
For the sprouts:
1 ½ lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tbsp. neutral oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup buffalo hot sauce
1 tbsp. honey
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Equipment: two small bowls, large bowl, large metal baking sheet, small pot
Method
For the dressing:
In a small bowl, stir together garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Let sit 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, smash 2 oz. blue cheese to a smooth paste. Add mayo, sour cream, 2 tablespoons milk, black pepper, and lemon juice mixture and stir until smooth.
Fold in remaining blue cheese crumbles, then taste and season with additional salt as needed. Dressing should be a thick, pourable consistency; if it’s too thick, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Set dressing aside.
For the sprouts:
Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with oil and salt. Arrange sprouts on baking sheet, spacing evenly apart with the cut sides facing down.
Roast until tender and deeply browned, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pot over low heat, melt butter. Add buffalo sauce and honey and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer sprouts to a large platter and drizzle with buffalo sauce, then sprinkle with blue cheese and thinly sliced green onion. Serve with remaining buffalo sauce for dipping.
Originally posted February 10, 2024.
Yorumlar