I had this salad in a restaurant in Los Angeles, and it completely transformed the way I prepare brussels sprouts. Gone are the days of boiling these baby cabbages to death; now it’s all about roasting, grilling or even eating them raw, as in this recipe. The key here is to shred them as finely as you can, which gives the slaw a more refined flavour as the dressing is better able to coat the sprouts.
Serves: 4–6
80g (½ cup) whole almonds
80g parmesan cheese
500g brussels sprouts
salt flakes
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
200g seedless red grapes, halved
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Method
1. Place the almonds on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Roughly chop the parmesan, place in a food processor and pulse four or five times to make a fine crumb. Tip out into a bowl. Alternatively, you can finely grate the cheese.
3. Place the thin slicing attachment in the food processor and feed the brussels sprouts through the shoot until they are evenly shredded. Alternatively, finely shred with a sharp knife or a mandoline. The aim is to slice the brussels sprouts as thinly as possible.
4. Place the shredded sprouts in a large bowl and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Use your hands to scrunch the salt into the sprouts, then stand for 10 minutes to soften and tenderise.
5. Whisk together the sherry vinegar, oil, a pinch of pepper and one-third of the parmesan in a bowl.
6. Pour the dressing over the brussels sprouts and toss through the grapes, almonds and the remaining parmesan. Pile up in a shallow bowl and serve.
The Weeknight Cookbook by Justine Schofield
Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons.
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