I wanted to have dinner for a friend of mine who took care of my pets while I was out of town. Unable to find a babysitter, I offered to make dinner at her house because her 4 year old, while simultaneously begging to own a dog, runs screaming from my roast-size little munchkins, licking at his ankles as though they were Rottweilers chewing the last remains of a T-bone. She happily accepted and I planned my menu. Knowing she doesn’t cook much, I carried half of my kitchen to her house to create the simple dinner I had planned. Grilled sirloins, a salad of baby greens w/fruit & raspberry-pomegranate vinaigrette and braised brussel sprouts. Turns out I didn’t pack near enough of my kitchen. It’s amazing how much you take for granted your utensils and cooking apparatus until you end up somewhere being forced to cook without these prized possessions. How was I to know I should’ve packed spatulas? I mean, who doesn’t own those? I think to myself, I really must get her some kitchen utensils for her upcoming birthday, but then realize, she’ll never use them. Note to self: remember to pack spatulas next time you come over to cook.
The whole kitchen experience is comical, really. I can’t find a proper sauté pan to render the bacon, sauté the shallots and then the brussel sprouts in. Somehow I muddle through making the brussel sprouts without it or a spatula. But then they need to be covered so I go tear through her cupboards looking for a lid to fit this giant wok, I’ve commandeered for the job, while I can’t find one, I end up using another pan for the lid –yes, we’ve all had to resort to this little trick at some time or another – however I did manage to drop every pan lid, at least once, a few, twice. Instead of making dinner, it sounded like the percussion warm up for the symphony. Let me tell you, it was far from over, the worst part of the experience was the electric stove top – yep, you guessed it – I am used to cooking on gas at home. Completely forgetting that an electric stove top continues cooking when turned off, when I am ready to serve the brussel sprouts, the liquid is at a simmering boil. In spite of the comic nightmare, they turned out wonderful, anyway. My frustration was well worth it, everything turned out just fine, the evening was lovely, the food was fantastic and the company was great, as always.
Braised Brussel Sprouts
3 – 6 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 – 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved
Salt and pepper, to your taste
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Leave bacon fat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.
We paired our dinner with 2006 Dashe Red Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Grilled Sirloin with Braised Brussel Sprouts
Tags: brussel sprouts, Cooking, cooking utensils, dinner, electric stove top, entertaining, grilling, kitchen, salad, sirloins, steak, vinaigrette
