Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Olive Oil

Brussels Sprouts are hands down one of my favorite vegetables ever! I think they get a bad wrap because many people do not know how to cook them to minimize their naturally bitter flavor. Lately, I have been happy to see the increase of Brussels sprouts on restaurant menus and all of the creative ways that they are cooked. From adding pancetta and roasting them to the Asian style of adding fish sauce and soy sauce. I have really enjoyed sampling this vegetable when I eat out 🙂
Even though these all taste great, I always cook my brussel sprouts in a very simple way and feel they do not need to be covered with the flavor of a sauce or bacon fat to truly taste good. This recipe is just that, a way to enjoy brussel sprouts in a more pure form with just a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. They taste amazing! I have converted haters with this recipe and have it requested by our guests when they come to visit. Give this a try and I promise you will love it too!

Here are the Brussels sprouts all fanned out in a pan of olive oil making sure that they are not overlapping

First you want to prep your brussel sprouts by rinsing them well the cutting off the stalky ends. Next, slice your brussel sprouts in half paying attention to making sure they are all around the same size so they all cook at the same time. If you get the rogue large brussel sprout that occasionally happens, then go ahead and quarter it to make it the same size as the other halves. In a large heavy bottom pan, heat your olive oil on medium heat. Once pan is heated, add your brussel sprouts to the pan making sure they are not overlapping and that they are all touching the pan. You are going to be browning them and getting a nice caramelized outside. Cook them without touching for about 4 minutes. You will hear some pops and discussion coming from the pan and that is ok! After 4 minutes toss them around with a spatula and you should start to see the nice browning happening. Press them all back down in the pan after tossing so they do not overlap and Cook for another couple minutes. Now, at this stage squeeze your lemon over the top and add your salt. The lemon will start to sizzle and begin steaming your brussel sprouts while the salt will start pulling the moisture from them. Go ahead and toss around again and flatten out again. Just keep repeating this process every couple of minutes until the brussel sprouts are fork tender (about another 5 minutes).