I noticed while trimming and chopping Brussels sprouts that a lot of little leaves and leaf fragments fall away. I want to save and cook them (I have a quart container full). I have sautéed them with onions and garlic, but I would be interested in your ideas.

I think you could do anything with them that you would do with kale or collards.

Imagine if you made teeny tiny stuffed cabbages with the leaves!

Seriously, I made this salad last year and remember it being pretty good.

Brussels sprouts salad

Use the freshest Brussels sprouts you can find, ideally the little, tender ones. I used brousse, a soft, goat’s milk cheese, to dot over the salad, but you can use any soft, mild goat’s cheese or curd cheese. You can also use toasted walnuts or hazelnuts if you prefer, or if that’s what you have.

350g Brussels sprouts
Zest of a lemon – grate this directly over the prepped Brussels sprouts so you don’t lose any of the beautiful oils
70g pecans, toasted* (see TIP)
50g dried cranberries
30g grated Parmesan
80g soft goat’s cheese

For the dressing
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon, about 2 tbsp
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and remove any damaged or less-than-sprightly outer leaves. Halve them through the stem and with a sharp knife, shred them as finely as you can. You could use a mandolin for this if you are some kind of hero who hasn’t yet touched the sherry.

Finely grate the lemon zest over the Brussels sprouts, sprinkle on a little salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss it all together well. Add the toasted pecans, cranberries and Parmesan and toss again.

To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients or shake them together in a tightly sealed jam jar until it is emulsified (thick and smooth, like a disastrous boyfriend). Toss the salad really well in the dressing and transfer onto a platter or into a serving bowl. Dot with the goat’s cheese and serve. Because Brussels sprouts are sturdy little beasts, this salad holds quite well – you can make it up to an our or so before you want to serve it, just add the nuts and cranberries and dot with the cheese just before you want to serve it.

*TIP How to toast nuts

Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once. Set a timer. You think you’ll remember but you won’t and they can burn quickly. I’ve been toasting them in an air fryer recently, for speed and fuel economy. I toast them at 190C for 5-6 minutes, rattling the basket halfway through.

That recipe sounds fabulous. Definitely filing it away. And I put it in the Cookbook section of WTF to save it for posterity.

I have quit putting the leaves in the disposal. They plug it.
I now let them fall in with the Brussel sprouts being cooked. They get eaten.

quote:

Originally posted by Bernard:
Imagine if you made teeny tiny stuffed cabbages with the leaves!

I like that idea! Start a restaurant offering only tiny versions of other dishes. And charge a lot of $$!

That recipe does sound good, Bernard!

Chopped them up tonight. Sautéed a little onion and garlic, added leaves and slivered almonds and za’atar blend. Simple but nice.

We tried Bernard's recipe recently and it was delish. I added a tiny bit of maple syrup to the vinaigrette.

I think it would also be very good with some cabbage, maybe Savoy or Napa.

Killer Brussels sprouts recipe:

Trim Brussels an halve lengthwise. Save any loose leaves.

Take about 10 peeled garlic cloves. But in half or thirds, or leave small ones whole.

Heat oven to 425.

Put some oil in cast iron skillet or ovenproof pan, arrange sprouts cut side down, put garlic slices in between so they touch the pan. Generous salt and pepper, sprinkle loose leaves on top.

Heat on stove at pretty high heat. Your goal is to get each sprout very dark on the bottom. Do not shake pan. Move pan around flame for an even cook.

Put in oven for 7-10 minutes.

Upon removing, douse with balsamic vinegar, stirring. Don’t be shy with the vinegar, it is the key flavor component. If it pools after the sizzle, that was probably a bit too much. Taste for salt.

These disappear fast. For four adults, a two pound bag is not enough.