Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Honey, Black Pepper and Mint
Watershed Kitchen & Bar Recipe Series
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Honey, Black Pepper and Mint
When Watershed Kitchen & Bar first opened in January of 2017, Executive Chef Jack Moore sat down with the waitstaff to go over the dishes that the restaurant would open with. Team members learned the ins and outs of these dishes, including the worldly or, in most cases, Southern Ohio influence that influenced many menu items. Having grown up in Appalachia, Chef Jack brought with him the comforts of home in dishes like the pickledillies (country ham wrapped around a pickle with a smear of cream cheese, Chef’s favorite snack) and pork and beans, a nod to the canned convenience he grew up with. He was accustomed to cooking seasonally, and to embracing produce grown close to home.
To open a restaurant means to expose yourself in some sort of way; to peel back the curtain on how you were brought up, while also paying homage to the hands and hours that molded you. In Chef Jack’s case, upon opening Watershed Kitchen & Bar, the staff and guests got to see both. A few staples have stuck from the original opening menu, not because of ease of execution or the lack of something to replace them, but because the dishes are so beloved that if Chef Jack even thought of removing them, he’d hear about it from just about everybody.
One of the dishes that’s stuck around since Day 1 is the Fried Brussels Sprouts. This dish gets ordered with such frequency that it has kept its place as the number one ordered food item since we opened the doors. Set in a small bowl but packing a serious flavor punch, drizzled with honey and black pepper, the Brussels sprouts are one of the few dishes that are reordered by guests who aren’t satisfied by the first round alone, sometimes even before their initial bowl is empty.
Below, you will find the recipe for the crowd favorite, Fried Brussels Sprouts. Chef Jack, in his descriptions of the opening plates, described this as a “harmonious dish.” If one component of its composition is removed, the other flavors are amplified and out of balance. Remove the honey and you are left with bitterness of the greens and too much acidity from the lemon. Remove the lemon and you are left with an overly sweet dish begging for a little citrus-y relief.
If making this at home, follow Chef Jack’s tried and true tips for restaurant quality Brussels sprouts like using fresh lemon juice over bottled for intended bite and brightness, and to use fresh mint instead of dried so that the aromatics entice you before you even dig in. Finally, it’s important to use fresh cracked pepper over pre-ground so you get the best hit of spicy freshness at your first bite. Make sure to tag us on Facebook or Instagram you make these at home! Enjoy!
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Honey, Black Pepper and Mint
INGREDIENTS
6 oz Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1-2 oz Local Honey
1 tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
2 Lemons, Cut in Half
3-4 Mint leaves, Roughly Chopped or Hand Torn
Pinch of Salt
TOOLS
Deep Fryer
Mixing Bowl
Tongs
Knife
1.) Preheat deep fryer to 350F. If using a pan of oil at home, measure temperature with a cooking thermometer and make sure to use a deep vessel since the oil will rise during cooking.
2.) Drop the quartered sprouts into the fryer until they are a deep golden brown, 2-3 minutes (Be careful, Brussels sprouts create a lot of popping and splatter as soon as they go into the oil. Do not attempt this over an open flame). This may also be achieved by oven roasting at 400+ degrees or pan searing on medium high heat if you do not have a deep fryer.
3.) While the sprouts are still hot, put them in a mixing bowl and toss with 1 oz of honey, the black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
4.) Squeeze the juice of 1 whole and half of the other lemon on the sprouts and toss again. Taste one, it should not be overly sweet or sour. If it is, add the rest of the honey or other half of lemon as needed to balance.
5.) Place in a bowl (or plate) and sprinkle with mint and enjoy.