Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Caesar Dressing
Roasting Brussels sprouts is my favourite way to prepare them as it reduces bitterness and brings out their natural sweetness. If you are handpicking your sprouts, either from the garden or a vegetable bin at the store, choose small to medium-sized as they will be less bitter. The robust flavour of a classic Caesar salad dressing works incredibly well to balance the sprouts. You could also use a pre-made Caesar dressing although the one below is certainly a flavour bomb.
Ingredients
- 500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 30 g parmesan, finely grated
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 4 rashers streaky bacon, finely chopped (optional)
Caesar Dressing
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
- Juice of half a lemon, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worchester sauce
- Handful of grated parmesan
- pinch of sugar (optional - helps to balance the salty flavours)
- Generous twist of black pepper
- 150 ml olive oil (or a combination of olive oil and a neutral-tasting oil)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C).
- Place the Brussels sprouts onto a large oven tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and toss well to evenly coat the sprouts. Spread them into a single layer, ideally not touching for the first stage of cooking so they roast evenly rather than steam. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the sprouts are just tender.
- Remove the tray from the oven and use a metal spatula to flip the Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle over the parmesan and breadcrumbs (it is OK if the sprouts are touching now) and place back in the oven for about 5-6 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden. Scoop into a serving dish.
- If using the bacon, fry until crispy then sprinkle it over the Brussels sprouts when they are ready to serve.
- Make the dressing while the sprouts are cooking. Place all of the dressing ingredients besides the oil into a blender and blitz to combine. With the engine running slowly pour in the olive oil until the dressing is creamy and thick. Check the taste, adding extra lemon juice if needed. Pour into a bowl and serve alongside the roasted Brussels sprouts. Leftover dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and used in sandwiches, served with roasted vegetables or dolloped onto lettuce wedges.