OH! YUM!!!. I’m always looking for new side dishes, and this is the of the tastiest ones I’ve found in recent months. But FIRST, you have to like brussel sprouts. I ate few vegetables back in the day of everything is canned and drab fatigue green, but I really think if we had eaten more fresh veggies we wouldn’t have missed out on delicious-ocity back then.

I also wasn’t a fan of mustard back then — but I so love these pickled mustard seeds — I can eat them from the jar! I use Maille Old Style Mustard ($3 at Walmart!!!!) — and yes, I have 3 jars in my pantry.

4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, regular or mini, trimmed and, if large, cut in half from top to bottom

Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), cut into slivers

1 shallot, cut into slivers, rinsed and patted dry

6 strips thick-cut bacon

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or more to taste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (grainy, smooth or a mix, preferably French), or more to taste — I’m a huge fan Maille Old Style Mustard

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cider vinegar, to taste

Directions

1. So, you have a choice here. You can set up a steamer. Season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper, and then toss them with the garlic and shallot. Steam the mixture until the tip of a small knife can easily poke into but not completely pierce the sprouts, 8 to 10 minutes.

OR you can roast them in the oven, but they won’t be as crisp.

OR (my favorite way when I’m in a hurry) you can pan sauté them.

2. While the sprouts are cooking, cook the bacon in a large saucepan or high-sided skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon between a triple thickness of paper towels, then coarsely chop into bite-size pieces. Set the pan aside.

3. Mix the maple syrup and mustard together. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet and add the olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat to high, and when the oil is shimmering, add the Brussels sprouts. Cook, turning a few times, until the sprouts are charred here and there and crisp-tender. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the maple-mustard mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sprouts are uniformly glazed.

4. Stir in the bacon, season with salt and pepper, then taste and add more syrup or mustard, if needed. If you’d like a touch of acidity, add a splash of cider vinegar. Serve immediately. SO SO SO SO SO SO delicious!!! (If you like brussel sprouts).

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