• Raw Brussels Sprouts in Apple Cider Vinegar
    and Walnut Oil with Plumped Raisins and Pecans

    December 4, 2008

    Posted in: The Recipes

    Yes, this salad is unusual. No, I am not a lunatic. It’s a dish conceived out of total boredom with the tasty but ubiquitous sautéed Brussels sprouts, accompanied by the possible sprinkling of pancetta to switch things up every decade or so. Before you click off this page, I invite you all to consider the fact that Choux de Bruxelles are miniature cabbages, des petits choux! You don’t cringe at the thought of cabbage salad or coleslaw, do you? No indeed. Raw cabbage is very at home in out culinary culture, and as Brussels sprouts are simply a dwarfed version, it is my personal contention that they ought to be indulged with the same favor. Try it! It’s delicious and fresh to the point that it’s worth the potential for finger amputation!

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    Ingredients, for 2:

    • 8-10 Brussels sprouts
    • 4 T raisins (the Thompson variety are the best)
    • 12 pecans
    • 2 T plus 2 t apple cider vinegar
    • 1 T plus 1 t walnut oil
    • 2 lg pinches fleur de sel, lots of pepper

    Procedure:

    1. Cover the raisins in hot water to plump them.
    2. Peel outer layer of leaves (2 per sprout). Remove base and slice as thinly as possible on a mandoline, vertically, so that the individual slices are held together by the core. Of course, if the prospect of Carpel Tunnel is agreeable to you, by all means do this manually!
    3. Mix the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let sit for a minute to allow the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and pour over the shaved sprouts.
    4. Let this marinate for about an hour, so that the harsh cabbage flavor has time to soften.
    5. Just before serving, crumble the pecans and sprinkle them over the salad. Add the plumped raisins, toss, and enjoy!

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