Recipes for the Season: Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Walnuts

In this series, local chefs give us their favorite recipes, full of fresh, seasonal ingredients, just in time for the weekend.

By Chef Jamie Hollander, Jamie Hollander Gourmet,

It’s inevitable: as soon as there are a few cool nights in a row, our customers start asking, “When will the sprouts be back?” Those people are usually the first to mention that they used to hate Brussels sprouts.

Oddly enough, I used to be one of those people as well, having been served boiled Brussels sprouts when I was a kid. Roasted sprouts are now one of my favorite fall foods, and I’m glad so many of our customers feel the same way. They are a staple of our Thanksgiving menu each year.

If you are still holding out on loving sprouts, try this simple recipe for roasted sprouts with shallots and walnuts. Start by choosing fresh, small sprouts that feel hard and have tightly compacted leaves. Sprouts that are about an inch wide or smaller are usually sweeter, but larger sprouts are delicious too, just a little more cabbage-like in taste. The best thing about cooking seasonally, is that by the time I’m starting to get tired of sprouts, they are gone…until the next season.

Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Walnuts

(recipe from Chef Jamie Hollander)
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp shallots, minced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

HOW TO

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Cut brussels sprouts in half and remove stem.
2. Toss sprouts in 1 Tbsp canola oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and caramelized.
3. On a separate baking sheet, toast walnuts in oven for about 4 minutes.
4. Saute shallots and garlic in remaining oil over medium-high heat until translucent; add chopped thyme and remove from heat.
5. In a large bowl, toss warm Brussels sprouts together with the shallot mixture, then fold in the walnuts.
6. Serve hot.

Jamie Hollander grew up in Bucks County and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He worked his way up the kitchen ranks from line cook to owner, opening The Knight House in Doylestown in 1999. Since 2006, Jamie and his parents, Ron and Carole, have owned and operated Jamie Hollander Gourmet Foods & Catering, providing prepared foods, eat-in or take-away breakfast and lunch, and custom catering for events. Jamie Hollander’s now has their own event venue, the historic riverfront mansion Glen Foerd on the Delaware, and they just opened Market Pizza at the Stockton Market this summer, serving wood-fired pizzas that feature local, seasonal ingredients. For more information, call 215.862.9809 or visit their website.

Need to find a farmers’ market near you? Click here to see our local food guide on Farmers’ Markets.