hello hi everyone! Wesley here. Today we’re diving back into our series dedicated to the Bay Area restaurant scene with a shot at a dish that to be absolutely honest, I sort of accidentally stumbled across recently, which are the crispy brussels sprouts found at Lake Chalet in Oakland, California. Now, those that have been following along with this series will know that we more typically take inspiration from spots here in the Oakland Chinatown area, where you’ll find a wide array of unique takes to Asian American cuisine. So. When I stumbled across these sweet, spicy, umami packed brussels sprouts at an Americana seafood spot like Lake Chalet, I was more than a little intrigued because, i mean. how did this end up here…?
Today, we’re gonna do our very best to recreate Lake Chalet’s wildly popular brussels sprouts with a quick wok sear, as well as a deeper dive into what I think is the single most important aspect to any brussels sprouts dish, which is, how do you navigate the stem end of this vegetable? Because anyone that has ever eaten this part knows…it tastes bitter and awful, and is probably why your childhood association with brussels sprouts is so negative. Finally rounding this all out, we’re also gonna do a nice glaze to our brussels sprouts inspired by some of our fried chicken attempts, making use of a bit of chili oil, sweet chili sauce, and fish sauce to try and replicate those sweet and spicy umami qualities as well. Hope you try it.
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS
4 cloves garlic
1 inch (about 1 tbsp) ginger
1lb brussels sprouts
sesame seeds
peanut oil
INGREDIENTS (glaze)
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or 2 tbsp full sodium soy sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp chili oil
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic
1 inch (about 1 tbsp) ginger
1lb brussels sprouts
sesame seeds
peanut oil
PREP
CRUSH and mince the garlic, set aside
FINE MINCE the ginger, set aside
REMOVE the stems of the brussels sprouts, then slice in half and set aside
COMBINE all glaze ingredients, set aside
ON THE STOVE
HEAT a wok as hot as possible, then add 4 tbsp peanut oil and long yao
ADD the brussels sprouts flat side down and sear for 2 1/2 minutes before tossing, then saute for an additional 2-3 minutes until tender
REMOVE the brussels sprouts, then reheat the wok, then add 2 tbsp peanut oil and long yao
ADD the garlic and ginger to the wok, then bloom until fragrant for 15 seconds
ADD the glaze mixture, then reduce for 4-5 minutes until thick like the texture of a loose honey
ADD the brussels sprouts back to the wok, then toss to combine and remove from heat immediately
FINISH with chili oil and sesame seeds