Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Thanksgiving is around the corner and this will definitely be on our table. Stay tuned for My Surviving the Holiday Dinner Guide, I ‘ll show you our family menu and walk you through tying all the items altogether, including sharing oven space and when to go shopping. This dish is a gratin, characterized by cream and butter with a crispy topping, I’ve got all of these ingredients but you won’t feel weighed down or guilty! With the holidays coming, there is no reason you have to compromise between health and flavour.
Serves 4
453 g (1 pound) fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup stock
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp half and half (10%) cream
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 Cup plain breadcrumbs or whatever breadcrumbs you have on hand.
2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Boil the Brussels sprouts for 6 minutes, drain them and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 400.
Return the pot to high heat and add the butter and flour, mix well using a whisk. You’re making a roux here so you’re looking for the consistency of wet sand. Let the rue cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. This will get rid of the raw flour flavour.
Slowly add the stock, again whisking constantly.
Bring the mixture to a boil and when it starts to thicken, drop the heat to low.
Stir in the Dijon mustard, garlic and thyme leaves.
When the sauce has come together, turn the heat off the pot.
Stir in the cream.
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.
Stir in the Brussels sprouts.
In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the Brussels sprouts and sauce to greased casserole dish.
Top the Brussels sprouts with the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture.
Roast for 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the breadcrumb mixture is slightly darkened.
Notes:
- Panko works great here instead of regular breadcrumbs too!
- Use any stock of your choosing, I used beef stock when I made this for dinner last night.
