From Erik's Kitchen: Grilled Brussels Sprouts

With Sundays being my slower days to have readers pay attention to my little blog, I figured I might use this as a bit of an "experimentation" day, try out a few ideas, see which ones work or not.

Today, I'm going to post a recipe I regularly prepare.  I enjoy using ingredients or techniques that a lot of people would never list as their "favorite," but I always love trying new methods and flavors when I'm preparing foods to keep it exciting and fresh.

Today's victim of societal prejudice?  Brussels sprouts.

So, I'm not going to go into the history of the Brussels sprout, or focus on any of the interesting scientific information about them, but instead simply describe how I get them to taste like how I want to eat them.  This technique, by the way, was adapted from my favorite television chef, Alton Brown.

First thing first, heat up a grill or a grill pan while you prepare the sprouts.

Now, let's pretend you have one pound of sprouts, preferably about the same size.  Clean them of any blemished leaves on the outside and trim off some of the stem so all you have is "fresh" sprout.  Put them into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave them for three minutes.

While that's happening, mix together two tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of minced garlic, one teaspoon of dry mustard, one teaspoon smoked paprika, one teaspoon of salt (I use kosher for pretty much everything), one half teaspoon pepper. 

Now, from here, you can adapt the recipe to blend better with whatever else you're using.  I've tried (to varying success) to add in pinches of cayenne pepper, five spice, or ginger in order to convert it over to other cuisines.  Adapt the flavors accordingly, and don't be afraid to experiment.

When the Brussels sprouts are done cooking (and you can handle them), place them onto skewers, leaving about a half inch of space between them.  I can usually get five or six onto a skewer, but for larger sprouts I don't try to do more than four. 

Grill the skewers on the pan for about 8-10 minutes.  I tend to rotate them more than Alton recommends, but I like a nice even char on all sides.

Then eat and enjoy!  It's really that simple!

And hey, if I can get even one person to change their mind about Brussels sprouts, imagine what I could do for tofu.