Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shiitakes and Smoked Paprika – Recipe
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shiitakes and Smoked Paprika
Brussels sprouts are oddly fashionable these past couple of years. They have two things going for them:
- Underdog status. A lot of people hated them because they were boiled to death for much of the 20th century.
- But they are actually delicious when prepared well.
Now we’ve caught on that they are wonderful when pan-fried, deep-fried, broiled, roasted or otherwise subjected to high heat for shorter periods of time. (Of course, I actually still love them steamed or boiled and served with good sweet butter as long you don’t overcook them.)
I think you’ll enjoy this version, which has just 7 ingredients, of which 5 are pantry staples. It comes together in only 10 or 15 minutes. The shiitakes and smoked paprika add to the earthy complexity of the nearly-charred sprouts
Wait a second, you don’t consider smoked paprika and Maldon (aka the world’s greatest salt) salt to be pantry staples? Ok, you need to change that. Those are two ingredients that will change your life as a cook. The smoked paprika takes any dish and makes it taste like it was cooked over an open wood fire, and the Maldon adds a magnificent flaky saline crunch that is ideal for a finishing touch. It takes many dishes from good to great. Trust me, even if they seem a bit overpriced, a little goes a long way and your food will improve dramatically. If you use Amazon Prime, this 2-pack of Maldon is a better deal.
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shiitakes and Smoked Paprika
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and kosher
Serves 2-3 as a side dish
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, sliced about 1/8″ thick
- Kosher salt
- 3 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered (about 9 ounces / 250 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky salt such as Maldon (aka the world’s greatest salt)
- Line a plate with paper towels. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, and when it shimmers, add the mushrooms caps in a single layer. Cook until well browned on one side, about one minute, then flip and cook the other side. When the second side is browned, remove with a slotted spatula to the paper towels, leaving as much oil behind as possible. Season with a sprinkle of Kosher salt.
- With the skillet still on medium high heat, add the brussels sprouts and toss to coat with oil, adding a bit more oil if needed. Cook, turning occasionally, until tender and many surface have dark brown spots. I like mine almost charred.
- Add the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt and the reserved shiitakes. Toss, then taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter, finish with black pepper and a few grains of flaky salt and serve.
Looks great. The Shiitake mushrooms seem like a terrific balance to the sprout flavor.
A friend of ours does something similar with sprouts, but she slices the sprouts perpendicular to the axis into about 3/16-inch “slabs” (which tend to fall apart) and then does browns them the way you do. The greater area from the thinner slicing means more surface to brown (good), but it also requires a larger pan/heat source, or multiple batches: you want to brown them without making the non-browned parts end up all limp and mushy.
I love Brussels sprouts
I love Shiitake mushrooms
yeah!
Darn right smoked paprika is a pantry staple! Especially for a vegetarian or vegan; omnivores have an easier time finding smoky flavors in smoked meats (and cheese).
I’ve been roasting brussels sprouts and eating them regularly ever since I found this recipe a few years ago. (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/goldencrusted-brussels-sprouts-recipe.html) Before that, I’d only had them boiled; it blew my mind.
I’ll have to give this preparation a try next time. Thanks.
I love brussels sprouts, but then I’ve never had to endure them over-cooked! I love them in a creamy mustard sauce too.
Lovely recipe. I’m actually getting excited here thinking about cooking brussels sprouts with smoked paprika. As a sprouts lover and smoked paprika addict who tries to sneak it into everything, I’m amazed I’ve never tried it before. Definitely agreed that it should be in everybody’s pantry. A few years ago, when it was harder to find, I brought about 5 tins of the stuff home from a trip to Barcelona. Still, I never got tired of it.
Hmm. I would never, in a million years, thought to combine smoked paprika with brussel sprouts. Can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Izzy! I love your blog name :). One of my early ideas was “The Vegetarian Blowtorch”, that would have been a good counterpart!
Thanks for the compliment. Gotta give my husband credit for coming up with the idea when I told him I wish they had a crash course for veganism (I went omnivore to vegan overnight due to health issues).
You’re right, Vegetarian Blowtorch would have been a good one. 🙂 I’m particularly keen on herbivacious though!
brussel sprout lover here!! I love them sauteed in BBQ sauce or roasted with lemon pepper and truffle oil. Yum! Beautiful photo of those sprouts and shrooms! 🙂
Made this for dinner saturday night. Wow!! Perfect dish for a wholesome meal on a winter night.
Thanks, Kareem! Glad you liked it. What did you serve them with?
Mm just made these. Best Brussels sprouts I ever made
I never heard of smoked paprika. Where do you get it or how do you smoke it?
You can find it in the spice aisle of an upscale grocer like Whole Foods, or find it on Amazon. It is really great stuff, I use it frequently for adding that smoky background note to a whole range of foods.
Friends who thought that they hated brussels sprouts love brussel sprouts when they try them roasted. I’m having a new found crush on paprika, I’m so digging this recipe!