Massage your Brussels sprouts for a better, more flavorful salad

[November 12, 2024]  By CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL

Earthy and subtly sweet with pleasant hints of bitterness, shredded Brussels sprouts make excellent slaw-style salads and balance the rich saltiness of holiday fare. Raw sprouts can be tough and slightly pungent, but a quick massage ensures the best flavor and texture.

In this recipe from our cookbook “ Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year,” we massage shredded sprouts with rice vinegar and soy sauce, tenderizing the sprouts and tempering their cabbage-y qualities. The salt in the soy sauce draws out moisture while the massage breaks down the plant’s cell walls, rendering the firm, raw leaves supple and easy to chew.

The acid in the vinegar further tenderizes the sprouts and adds bright flavors, a nice contrast to the robust greens. Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, as seasoned rice vinegar can contain corn syrup and other additives that will alter the flavor of the dish.

We add fresh ginger and chilies for punch, drawing out fragrance and flavor from the aromatics by tossing them with a mixture of sizzling oil and sesame seeds. This lightly cooks the sprouts and gives them nutty, toasty notes. If serranos or jalapeños bring too much heat, you can swap out some or all of the chilies for thinly sliced scallions.

Taste and season with additional soy sauce and pepper, if needed, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Hot-Oil Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Sesame

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for hot-oil Brussels sprouts with ginger and sesame. (Milk Street via AP)

2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more as needed

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 or 2 Fresno OR serrano OR jalapeño chilies, stemmed and thinly sliced OR 2 scallions, thinly sliced OR both

3 tablespoons neutral oil

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:
In a food processor fitted with the medium (3-mm) slicing disk, slice the sprouts, emptying into a large bowl as needed. Add the vinegar, soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage the sprouts until they wilt, 10 to 20 seconds. Let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Distribute the ginger and chilies evenly over the top; do not stir or toss.

In an 8-inch skillet over medium-high, combine the oil and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle the oil-seed mixture onto the sprouts and aromatics, then immediately toss. Taste and season with additional soy sauce and pepper.

Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

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