When you want to do something different than the standard roasted Brussel sprouts, consider this hearty salad dressed in an umami-heavy anchovy & garlic aioli.
Crispy Brussel Sprout Salad with Anchovy & Garlic Aioli
When you want to do something different than the standard roasted Brussel sprouts, consider this hearty salad dressed in an umami-heavy anchovy & garlic aioli.
Ingredients
For the Brussel Sprout Salad:
- 8 oz smoky bacon (cut into 1/4” lardons)
- 24 oz Brussel sprouts, roots trimmed and outer leaves removed (cut in half)
- ½ red onion ( cut into relatively thick 1/4” slices)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp ground sweet paprika
- ¼ head purple cabbage (shredded finely)
- Zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- Salt & freshly-ground black pepper ( to taste)
- Balsamic vinegar (as garnish)
For the Anchovy & Garlic Aioli:
- 1 Tbsp bacon fat (from the fat you rendered from bacon cooked earlier)
- 7/8 cup sunflower seed oil
- 3 whole anchovies in oil (drained from their oil)
- 1 clove garlic (finely sliced)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp water (to thin Aioli consistency if necessary)
Instructions
- Saute bacon over medium heat to render fat until the bacon is crispy.
- When bacon is crispy, remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Reserve 1 Tbsp of the rendered bacon fat and combine with the 7/8 cup sunflower seed oil needed for the aioli you will make later.
- Place a cleaned large sheet tray in the oven and preheat oven to 425F.
- Mix the remaining bacon fat with the halved Brussel sprouts, sliced red onion, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp kosher salt, 2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 2 tsp ground sweet paprika and combine thoroughly.
- When oven has reached 425F, carefully remove the hot sheet tray from the oven and evenly distribute the vegetables on hot sheet tray.
- Return the vegetables to the oven and cook until vegetables are fully roasted.
- While the vegetables are roasting in the oven, make the anchovy & garlic aioli.
- To make the anchovy & garlic aioli, combine the 1 Tbsp of bacon fat from earlier with the 7/8 cup sunflower seed oil and 3 anchovies, plus the sliced garlic clove, whole egg, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt.
- Blend contents with an immersion blender in a tall and narrow container until the ingredients are fully emulsified.
- Add water if necessary to thin consistency.
- Taste aioli and season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- When vegetables are done, remove from oven and season gently with salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
- Allow the vegetables to cool for five minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooling, toss the shredded cabbage with the zest and juice of 1 lime and 2 tsp kosher salt. Season mixture lightly with salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.
- Toss the roasted vegetables with the seasoned cabbage and bacon lardons you cooked earlier in a large bowl with some of the anchovy & garlic aioli until mixed together.
- Served roasted vegetables in a bowl, topped with some balsamic vinegar.
