Sunflower Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Who said brussel sprouts can’t be fun? Certainly not us! Our Sunflower Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe is the perfect dish to bring out all the rich flavours of this staple ingredient, roasting them to perfection before introducing a sunflower purée and a Thyme-infused brown butter.

The Oblong Casserole is the ideal piece of cookware for this recipe, exposing the brussel sprouts to a consistent heat source until they are roasted. The casserole’s oblong shape offers a significant base to pack ingredients, providing the ultimate piece of cookware to both prepare and serve this side dish. The end result is perfectly roasted brussel sprouts atop a sunflower purée before being topped with the thyme-infused butter.

Our Sunflower Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe ensures you get all your servings of greens for the week without compromising on flavour. This recipe can be prepared in under an hour, serving up to four portions at a time. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need along with the steps to follow before tackling this recipe! 

Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 425˚F, convection mode if possible.

Toss the trimmed Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size, until well caramelized and tender.

Sunflower Purée

Prepare a heatproof sieve over a heatproof container for the hot oil, as well as a paper towel-lined cookie sheet.

In a medium skillet, add the neutral oil and seeds to the cold pan, and heat over medium heat for 4-5 min until the seeds begin to brown. Stir often. It is important to do this quickly as the seeds can overcook very fast. As soon as they start to colour, pour the oil and seeds through the heatproof sieve into a heatproof container to catch the oil.

Immediately transfer the seeds to the paper towel-lined tray.

Sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt and let cool for 5 minutes. Set aside ¼ cup of toasted seeds and transfer the rest to a blender and begin blending. Add 150 ml of the hot oil, then 100 ml of water, and 100 ml of vinegar. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and the remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Adjust the seasoning to your taste. You should have a nice smooth puree.

Thyme Butter

Strip the thyme leaves from the branches and add to the butter in a medium skillet, over medium heat.

Cook together for 3-4 minutes until the butter bubbles and begins to turn a light brown colour. Transfer immediately to a small heatproof bowl.

Assemble

Spread your sunflower purée on the bottom of a plate or dish.

Pile the hot Brussels sprouts on top of the purée.

Drizzle with honey and hot thyme-infused brown butter.

Sprinkle with fleur de sel, reserved toasted sunflower seeds and freshly cracked pepper.

Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Gia