Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts with Coconut Cream

I had been wanting to make this dish for weeks, and when I finally did, everything in my fridge just came together in a really nicely-balanced meal.

We had:

these dijon-braised brussels sprouts with coconut cream

spicy cream of zucchini soup

roasted vegetable pasta salad

A really nice mixture of sour, spicy, and creamy--and hot and cold--and tied together with coconut milk. This would also be a great menu for a dinner party, because the soup and the salad could be made ahead of time.

As Deb says on her write-up of the original recipe, this combination is a lighter take on Brussels sprouts than many of the ways we cook them. The wine and the mustard give some sharper, brighter aspects, tempered by the coconut milk (which I used in place of heavy cream). It also reminds me a bit of Yassa, a sour spicy way of cooking chicken and fish in Senegal, which, coincidentally, inspired a chickpea dish that Janet posted just this week!

The only heartbreak: I overcooked the brussels sprouts. Zippy said she liked them this way, but I wanted them to be a little bit firmer, crisper, brighter.

Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts

(adapted from smitten kitchen)

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts

2 TB olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup vegetable broth 

2 to 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons coconut milk, plus more to drizzle at end

1 tablespoon dijon mustard (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Trim sprouts and halve lengthwise. In a large, heavy 12-inch skillet heat butter and oil over moderate heat. Arrange halved sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook sprouts, without turning until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. [Updated to note: If your sprouts don't fit in one layer, don't fret! Brown them in batches, then add them all back to the pan, spreading them as flat as possible, before continuing with the shallots, wine, etc.]
2. Add the shallots, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low (for a gentle simmer), cover the pot with a lid (foil works too, if your skillet lacks a lid) and cook the sprouts until they are tender can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 15 to 20 minutes. Important: err on the side of caution. Mine were probably done after ten minutes.
3. Remove the lid, and scoop out brussels (leaving the sauce behind). Add coconut milk and simmer for two to three minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in mustard. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary with more salt, pepper or Dijon. Pour sauce over brussels, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve immediately. I drizzled a bit more coconut milk at the end as well. Serves about 4-5 as a side.