Brussels Sprouts and Bacon in White Wine

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Bits are a wonderful dish not only for Christmas Dinner but at any time over the winter and it goes very well with many proteins. I've kept the seasoning light on this dish as the White Wine, Butter and Bacon does most of the flavouring. A hint of Nutmeg and a pinch of Salt and Pepper is really all it needs. I have noted Variations on it's prepartion at the bottom of this page as well.

I use wine in my cooking most often when making Sauces or Soup Stocks. In this recipe, the reduction is more of a glaze and a hint of sugar adds a little extra sweetness to the Sprouts. Brussel Sprouts and Bacon are quick and easy to make as well, so this dish can be prepared after all of your other components of your Holiday Feast are ready to be served and are resting. They will be ready to serve as soon as you bring them out of the oven.

HINT: Fry your Bacon Strips up with your Morning Meal or the day before to save you time. If it's the Holidays, I won't tell anyone that you had Bacon twice in one day. Make the Bacon strips as crisp as possible so they easily crumble after they have cooled.

If you are unfamiliar with how to cook Bacon so it is perfectly crisp, I will get to a detailed post on that in the near future. The trick is to add extra Bacon fat if you have it, keep the Bacon at a medium heat and submerge the Bacon in it's own fat as it cooks! 


This is a quick dish to prepare however, Brussels Sprouts can become bitter if over-cooked, so leave this dish until last, cook it while your Meat is resting and as you are finishing your gravy. Depending on how many you are making it could take as long as 30 minutes total to cook, but don't let it sit too much longer than that. The recipe and timing for the following will serve 4 portions.




HINT: Add additional Sprouts, Bacon, Wine, Turkey Stock (1 TBSP each) and a pinch of  Nutmeg/Sugar per person

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Ingredients

3 Large or 5 Small Brussel Sprouts per person
1/2 Pre-cooked Bacon Strips per person (Don't use imitation!)*

1 1/2 TBSPS Butter
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
A Squeeze of Lemon Juice from a slice of Lemon
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Chicken or Turkey Stock (Water or Au Jus as an option, See my Notes below)*

1/4 TSP Nutmeg
1 Heaping TSP White Sugar*

Salt and Pepper to taste at the end.

NOTE: If you are using a store bought Chicken or Turkey Stock ... again, extra salt is added. Bacon already has a fair amount of Salt, reserve adding salt until after you have tasted the finished Sprouts. 

Preparation

Oven Temperature - 350 F
(It's probably already pre-heated if you have other things cooking.)


Clean and Slice your Brussels Sprouts in Half.


Remove stems and any outer leaves which are unattached.


To  a Pan or Pot, add Wine, Butter, Lemon Juice, Nutmeg and 1/4 Cup Chicken/Turkey Stock or Water.


On the stove top, turn your burner heat to high and bring contents to a boil.


Reduce liquid until it is 1/4 of the amount you started with. Stir occasionally and don't let it completely evaporate. Add more Water or Stock if it reduces too far.


Remove from heat, immediately.


Add Halved Brussel Sprouts and crumbled Bacon Bits, toss or stir the vegetable in the glaze so they are all lightly and evenly coated.


Remove the Sprouts from the Pan, transfer to a baking dish or roaster with a lid, cover, place in the oven.


Cook 10 minutes.


Uncover and stir, cook uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes more.


Ready to serve!

The Brussel Sprouts should slightly soft but still firm when they are ready. Test with a Fork.




* Notes:

There are many variations to this recipe. If you want to marry the flavours of your Roast Turkey, Duck, Chicken or Ham to the Glaze, use the Au Jus, the natural juices which are left from the roast in the bottom of the pan that the Roast cooked in. You may need to strain the liquid, but keep a little of the Fat from the Roast if you try this.

Chicken/Turkey - Reduce the amount of Butter used by half, use 1/3 to 2/3 of a cup of the Au Jus (strained) as a Stock replacement. If you are cooking a Duck or a Ham which have very high Fat contents - Skip the butter all together, you won't need it. Roast Beef - It will depend on the Cut and it's Fat content.

The method over all is similar. It will save you time and you won't need to make or buy Stock. Using the Au Jus adds far more flavour.

Replace White Sugar with Honey or if you cooking a Ham try Maple Syrup as a substitute. 

Use finely diced Ham as an option to Bacon, if you need a substitution. DON'T use imitation Bacon bits!...ever, they are gross! LOL

That's it for this post, I will be busy this coming week with my own Preparations for Christmas, but I do hope to have at least two more recipes and one Video ready before next weekend.

Have a WONDERFUL Day!

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