From my teen years on, I’ve enjoyed veggies of all sorts. As soon as I figured out they could be eaten in almost endless quantities without contributing many calories, I became a big fan. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower? Bring ’em on. Greens such as kale, chard, spinach? Yes, please. Onions? Eggplant? Bell peppers? Yep, yep, and yep.
As an adult, I’ve learned to appreciate the colors and shapes of produce in general. They’re not cookie-cutter foods from a factory; they’re grown and harvested and brought to market. (Speaking of markets, buying produce at farmers’ markets brings on a high that can last for days.) Then there’s the fun-to-cook-with factor. Because veggies taste different roasted than steamed than grilled than sautéed, there are endless ways to keep variety in the mix.
Roasting is my favorite way to cook vegetables as the high temps caramelize and bring out an inherent sweetness. But when washing and trimming Brussels sprouts the other night, I decided to throw caution to the wind and sauté these babies. (I’m one crazy cook, yes?)
why ever not?
Because I genuinely enjoy the flavor of (most) veggies, a spritz of olive oil and sprinkle of coarse salt is as fancy as I usually get. That said, I had an itch to spice things up a bit with these sprouts. My soft spot for all things bourbon coupled with a glance at a nearby bourbon bottle put the figurative light bulb above my head. Bourbon and Brussels sprouts? Why ever not?
A good glug (3 tablespoons or so) went into the cast-iron skillet where the sprouts were cooking in olive oil. The immediate scent of bourbon rose from the pan and I wondered if maybe I had made a mistake. Perhaps these flavors weren’t meant for each other after all? They sure looked good, though: A few minutes later, the bourbon had evaporated and the Brussels sprouts were a rich and bright green, with shades of mahogany borrowed from the bourbon. They were gorgeous.
good for you? goes without saying. but these B sprouts are really really good!
Even better, these sprouts were knock-outs in the flavor department. Even my husband, who eats what I cook because he’s a nice guy (but would really rather be eating veggies of the peas and corn variety), gobbled them down, noting that the bourbon actually mellowed the strong sprout flavor. Somehow the in-your-face bourbon and sprout flavors canceled each other out, resulting in an alchemy that was sweeter, softer, and more neutral. Because I hadn’t overcooked the sprouts (this time), the texture was right on–a slight chew, but stopping short of mush. They made a fine veggie side dish and got me thinking that I should try adding bourbon to other vegetables as well.
Cooking up these sprouts was loads of fun. The adult in me got to play with spirits in the kitchen and my inner 16-year-old is delighted that she can eat lots of veggies and still have room for dessert.
food for fun 
These look fantastic! I love brussels sprouts but usually just roast them the same old way every time. I’m going to to give these a try next week for sure.
yay! Traded you a fudge recipe for a Brussels sprouts recipe. Somehow I think I came out ahead 😉 p.s. Thanks 🙂
When in doubt, booze will (almost) always make things better. Almost. =) I had a bad experience once with a friend who added waaayyy too much bourbon to the gravy for Thanksgiving and gave it no time to cook off. But these look perfect! Well done!
Thanks, J. Liking your kitchen philosophy very much 🙂
These sound delish!! I usually roast my brussel sprouts too (I love when they get the blackened and crispy bits around the edges) but you’ve inspired me to get out my saute pan. And my booze. For the purposes of the recipe only, of course 😉
Of course, Amb. Of course 😉
Love this idea! So fun! Sounds great 🙂 I absolutely love Brussels sprouts.
Seems like Brussels sprouts have many fans 🙂 Thinking B sprouts would work well with beer, too…
I love veggies too! Also big fan of Brussels sprouts!
Seems like Brussels sprouts are quite popular among food lovers 🙂
What an interesting combo! Brussels sprouts are the IT veggie right now, this I know. I always try to be the rebel and not jump on board the foodie trends but I cannot help myself. I love them! And as the unhipster that I am, I can’t even claim to have loved them before everyone else did.
Thanks for stopping by, Angie. I’m honored as you are a Legend in these parts 😉 (albeit an extremely unhip one–haha)
Are B sprouts IT? This shocks me as they’re such humble veg. (unlike flashy fennel and the like) Folks are cooking Brussels sprouts better for sure. You’ve got stronger childhood memory than I, but I’m certain my mom never roasted Brussels sprouts nor did she saute them with bourbon. Glad you like and glad you came by foodforfun. Pleasure to have you here.
Nope, never had the glorious sprouts as a kid. Thank goodness my mom didn’t prepare them because I’m sure she would’ve boiled them. Blech. I like to slice them into slivers and saute them with shallots and garlic, although I think roasting in the oven makes just about any vegetable taste better!
I keep seeing all types of recipes using Bourbon but I have never ventured. This sounds like a great idea. I also like the idea of slivering the sprouts and adding garlic as Angie suggested – going to try a combo of Bourbon and garlic and see what happens. Yum!
Let me know 🙂 Thanks for coming by, Claire. Fun to see you again!
YES, please! Bookmarked to make ASAP! 🙂
thanks, Shanna! Speaking of kind and sweet and supportive…that would be you! I switched my “follow” of you over to email notification (instead of the reader which I never read), so I should be keeping better tabs of you from here on out.You’ve been warned 😉
Hi, Liz. Thank you. I feel so honored. You know, I will have to set-up some email notifications ASAP so I can follow blogs better – like yours! Have a lovely day. – Shanna
AND–if you like bourbon, we should talk 😀
Yes, Liz, hehehe, I do “like” bourbon, to say the least. My favorite drink if I am out is a Manhattan, and cooking with bourbon – or baking with it – is super tasty. I have been thinking lately – wouldn’t a chocolate-bourbon ice-cream with a caramel be tasty? Now that would be a fun blog post! Take good care… – Shanna
If you search the Bourbon category here, you will find a handful of posts. Yes, we should talk. One of my favorite travel memories is hitting Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail with my husband a few years back. Fell in love with the “art” of bourbon making and love to sample different styles. Yum to the Manhattan. As for ice cream: https://foodcommunicationservices.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/ice-cream-with-attitude/
I can send you the recipe should you want it 😉
Hi, Liz. Your travel to Kentucky sounds like a wonderful culinary journey for you and your love. How much fun! 🙂 I look forward to looking up your recipes that use bourbon – it is tasty – and it’s homegrown. 🙂 Take care! – Shanna
Nice! Thank you for sharing the link. Sounds wonderful Liz.
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