Roasted brussels sprouts are quite possibly my favorite vegetable to serve with dinner. Growing up I detested these underappreciated and often poorly prepared petite choux or baby cabbages as the French would say. My mother would simply boil them or best case steam them – sadly for me, seasoning was a concept not yet discovered in my household when I was a child.

Roasted, these petite cabbages transform into a dish of complex richness and nuttiness, with a caramelized flavor, and if cooked well, a slightly crunchy texture with a hint of char. My preparation adds thick-cut bacon and grated parmesan to complete the dish with a smoky finish. Prepare the dish as I suggest and you will have your friends and family expecting this dish with every meal. My sons love this dish and will gladly eat ‘les petite choux’ every evening.

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts – quantity as desired

Thick cut bacon – Nueskes, Peter Luger, Hempler’s, or other high-end brand – try variations like peppered bacon

Grated parmesan

Olive oil

Sweet Hungarian Paprika

Sea salt (sel gris) and ground pepper

Preparation

Trim the brussels sprouts – cut off the end and half, small ones can remain whole, but should be no larger than the end of your thumb

Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper, add paprika

Spread out onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper

Cut bacon into thick pieces – half an inch wide – now you can toss in the bowl or sprinkle over the sprouts on the pan

Grate the parmesan with a micro plane grater – very fine – sprinkle on top of the sprouts

Cook at 325 on the very bottom of the oven if possible – the direct heat from the oven element to the pan will yield best results – try this technique with any oven roasted vegetable

Stir on the pan after 15 minutes cooking to the desired doneness – I like a little brown/black on the edges, but not too much