raw and roasted caesar brussels sprouts

SERVES 2 TO 4 AS A STARTER OR SIDE DISH (THIS IS AN EXCELLENT HOLIDAY SIDE.) One time my friend Glennis asked me if Pecorino is a meat, and no, it’s not, but I think this cheese is savory and satisfying enough when paired with walnuts that these Brussels sprouts don’t need any bacon, or anything else. This recipe asks you to prepare the Brussels in not one, but two ways, which might seem annoying, but I promise you, it’s worth it. This salad will make you truly appreciate the unique qualities of the Brussels sprout, a deeply underrated vegetable.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

PREP: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Step 2

Trim the bottom and separate the leaves from the base of ½ pound (225 g) Brussels sprouts. The outer leaves will peel off nicely, and then you kind of have to start ripping them apart, and that’s okay. Add the leaves to a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Trim the bottoms off the remaining ½ pound (225 g) Brussels sprouts and slice them whisper-thin. If you are an advanced and confident user, you could employ a mandoline for this. If you have a shredding attachment on your food processor, you could use that too, but doing it by hand really isn’t so bad either.

Step 3

COOK: Add 1 cup (100 g) walnuts to the rimmed baking sheet with Brussels leaves and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Roast, tossing once, until charred in places and the walnuts are toasty and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set a timer!

Step 5

MAKE THE ALMOST CAESAR DRESSING: In a large bowl, whisk together the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, and 3 finely chopped anchovies until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Toss everything together in the bowl with the dressing. Finely grate ½ cup (50 g) Pecorino right into the bowl, toss, transfer to a serving dish or platter, and top with more cheese. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges to serve on the side.