Brussels Sprouts with caramelized black walnuts.

[Denninmi]

Just wanted to share this with DU Cooking and Baking Group.

It is a great favorite in my household. I ONLY make this on Thanksgiving and Christmas, due to the calorie and fat content. So, it's a rare treat.

I will do my best to get the proportions right, since I'm a "visual" cook -- I dump stuff in the bowl until it looks right, and very rarely measure unless making something exacting like a candy or pastry dough.

About 2 lbs of cleaned Brussels sprouts.
Boiling Salted Water.

Parboil the sprouts in the boiling water about 6-8 minutes, until tender crisp but not mushy. Then, drain well in a colander to remove excess moisture.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt about 1/3 cup of butter over moderate heat. When melted and just beginning to bubble, add 1/2 to 1 cup (we like more) of black walnut pieces which have been carefully sorted to remove all bits of shell. (If you don't like black walnuts, this can be made with almost any nut of your choice, or even with mixed nuts, and it will be just as good.) Sautee the nuts in the butter for 3-4 minutes to toast them, stirring carefully and making sure to NOT overly brown or burn them, or they'll get bitter. When the nuts are nicely toasted/sauteed, add 1/3 cup of brown sugar and also some sea salt to taste (like 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon is good, IMO). Turn up the heat just a bit to allow the brown sugar to melt completely, and then cook it while stirring constantly until the whole combines into a nice caramel type sauce (probably about 3 minutes on moderately high heat).

ADD the drained Brussels sprouts, and toss them thoroughly to coat well with the nut mixture. At this point, the sprouts will give up a bit of moisture from the salt and sugar -- I almost "stir-fry" them on moderately high heat for another 2-4 minutes to reduce the sauce again until it is thick and syrupy. If necessary, you can even remove the sprouts and set them aside so they don't overcook and get "mushy" while you reduce the moisture.

[Callalily]

1. Sounds very yummy!

But . . . maybe try steaming the sprouts. They'll keep their color much better and you don't risk overcooking to that "mushy" stage.

Just my humble suggestion/observation.

[Denninmi]

2. Steaming ..

hmmm... sounds like a good idea. I'm not much of a "steamer" myself, can't say why really, I guess I just boil things because that is the way I was taught.

I'll try it this year for a change. Thanks! :-)

[yellerpup]

3. Truly creative.

I've never seen a recipe like this for Brussels sprouts and they are a favorite at our house. Black walnuts are not available around here. Do you special order them? Those were my Cherokee grandpa's favorite, and I'd love to try this recipe for just that reason. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! Do try steaming for Brussels sprouts. The color and texture is really pleasing.

[Denninmi]

5. RE: Black Walnuts.

We have our own trees, so they're easy for us.

I don't know where you are, but you might check at Kroger stores if you have those near you. Here in Michigan, they regularly carry black walnuts produced by the Hammons Nut Company of Missouri, and they're actually pretty reasonable as black walnuts go, about $4 for a half pound bag. Hammons does mail order as well, but prices are somewhat higher, plus s/h:

http://www.black-walnuts.com/

[yellerpup]

6. Rats! No Krogers where we live.

They are so special, though. If I was the jealous type, I'd be jealous of you for having a bounty in your back yard. I have sweet memories of black walnut ice cream spooned from Grandpa's dish bite by bite into my mouth by his hand. Thanks for the link. It will be worth it to create that memory-taste. You're a peach! :hug:

[grasswire]

8. my long-gone great grand mother-in-law sent me a big bag of...

...cracked black walnuts one year. I don't think I fully appreciated them then, but I would now. I've been going to order some for a blackberry jam cake I've been meaning to make. I know there are none at the Kroger's here.

[yellerpup]

9. Aw, she sent a gift of love meaning to share her pleasure

with you. Were you as good a cook then as you are now? A blackberry jam cake with black walnuts sounds so elegant. Your great-grandmother-in-law will be with you in spirit when you take the first bite, and I'll be right beside her... Wouldn't want to miss a taste of that! :hug:

[grasswire]

7. easy?

I've tried cracking black walnuts. Heh.

[beac]

4. Copied and saved.

Can't wait to make these! :applause:

[TreasonousBastard]

10. This sounds great! I've got one Thanksgiving and three Christmas...

feasts to cook for, and was wondering if I'd do the sprouts again. Last year I stir fried them and used a cheese sauce. People ate them, but no raves.

I probably can't find black walnuts, so I'll use the common ones. Or pecans. Or almonds.

Hmmmm... I'm thinking pignoles should work really well with sprouts.