![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/_mg_4582.jpg\" "\\"What")
What is this thing? Is it a fruit, or vegetable?!!<\/p><\/div>Oh my god! \u00a0I found the most amazing vegetable! \u00a0I don’t think anyone knows about it. \u00a0They are these little bulbs called Brussels Sprouts and I’m the first one to ever think of cooking them and eating them.<\/p>\n
Ok, maybe not the first.<\/p>\n
Boy are these things the hot item these days. \u00a0I bet they run out of favor soon because they seem to have exploded so big as THE gourmet side dish. I enjoy them, so I fear they may slide back into history and slowly emerge as that strange vegetable that is force-fed to children across the land.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/_mg_4587.jpg\" "\\"After")
After a steam bath, or a short parboil, they join the other goodies in the pan.<\/p><\/div>I remember as a kid I wasn’t supposed to like them. \u00a0That probably has a lot to do with how they were served by my parents. \u00a0I called my mother to see how she served them to us and the phone went silent. \u00a0She finally said, “I don’t think I ever served them to you kids. \u00a0Maybe it was your grandmother. \u00a0We didn’t eat Brussels sprouts.” \u00a0Well, I know I ate them somewhere, so let’s blame Grandma! \u00a0We decided they were probably steamed. \u00a0I would probably like that today, and as I said, I sort of did back then. \u00a0I felt like I was a giant eating a whole head of cabbage or something. \u00a0Pretty funny!<\/p>\n
But today is a different story. \u00a0We don’t steam them anymore. \u00a0We roast them, or pan fry them to the point where they are both moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. \u00a0In fact, we treat them more like a pizza than a vegetable. \u00a0I always nail them with high heat and give them the business and they are so thick that they can withstand it all and still give something great back to you.<\/p>\n
What better way to cook these little babies than in a 900 degree wood fired oven? \u00a0Let’s see what we can do here.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wood Fired Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/_mg_4589.jpg\" "\\"Welcome")
Welcome to the jungle…<\/p><\/div>– Brussels Sprouts<\/p>\n
– Bacon or Pancetta<\/p>\n
– Chopped Red Onion<\/p>\n
– Olive Oil<\/p>\n
– Balsamic Vinegar<\/p>\n
– Salt and Pepper<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sprouts:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Clean the sprouts by trimming off any browned bits at the base and pull off any browned leaves. \u00a0I par-boil them for a minute to get them soft, but not done. \u00a0Let them cool and then cut them in half. \u00a0This allows you to brown more of them up when cooking.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The bacon and onions:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The oven was pizza hot. You can also do this on your stovetop – set to high.<\/p><\/div>Separately, chop up some bacon and red onion, or shallots, and saut\u00e9 them until they are only “mostly done,” that is, till they wilt and the bacon renders off a lot of fat but has not yet crisped .\u00a0 They too will finish in the oven.<\/p>\n In a bowl, combine the sprout halves and bacon\/onion mixture and drizzle with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. \u00a0Sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste and toss.<\/p>\n Put the sprout mixture back into the iron skillet and slide it into the WFO. \u00a0900 degrees F. gets the pan hot and these things cooking pretty fast. \u00a0Don’t worry, there’s time to sip your beer. \u00a0You did open a beer, right? \u00a0Do I have to include that in the ingredient list?<\/p>\n Brown them. \u00a0Char them. \u00a0Toss. \u00a0Back into the fire.<\/p>\n Nice browned and burnt edges give the sprouts a lot more texture and competing flavors.<\/p><\/div>Make sure to get the enough of them charred up. \u00a0The burnt tips\/edges provide a ton of flavor as well as a crisp texture to contrast with the softer interior.<\/p>\n These make a great pizza topping. \u00a0I even created a pepperoni seasoning that I sprinkled onto my sprouts once and created my own vegi-pepperoni – *LINK<\/a>. \u00a0The slight bitterness of the sprout gives it some bite and stands out against the sweet balsamic and saltiness of the bacon and seasonings.<\/p>\n Enjoy!<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/_mg_4601.jpg\" "\\"The")
![](\"https:\/\/www.fornobravo.com\/pizzaquest\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/10\/_mg_4605.jpg\" "\\"Nice")