Extra recipe to accompany story, “A Circle of Friends,” published 3-22-2012
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for bowl
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Wash the Brussels sprouts. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggety outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top, toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil.
Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet. Place the Brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese.
Makes 4 servings.
