This is a wonderful dish to serve with Thanksgiving Dinner. It is equally good served any day of the week. I give you this large recipe for the holidays but it is easy enough to cut down for a smaller group of diners.
Serves 12
½ Pound Thinly Sliced Pancetta, Cut into Julienne Strips or Slab Bacon Cut Into Thin Strips
3 Pounds Brussels Sprouts, Medium in Size, Core Trimmed, Cut in Half Length-Wise
1 Pound White Pearl Onions, Skins Removed
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons XVOO
1 Cup White Wine
½ Cup Homemade Chicken Stock or Canned Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
In a sauté pan large enough to hold all of the Brussels sprouts and pearl onions in a single layer, cook the pancetta (or Slab Bacon) until all the fat is rendered and is crisp. Remove the pancetta (or Slab Bacon) from the pan and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Discard the fat. (If you don’t have a pan large enough to cook all of the sprouts and onions together then do it in smaller batches.)
In the same pan over medium high heat, heat the butter and XVOO. When the butter stops foaming add the Brussels sprouts and the pearl onions to the pan and sauté tossing around in the butter and XVOO. Add the salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce the wine by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. This should take only a few minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan with a lid. Cook until the sprouts are tender and the onions are cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.
Add the cooked pancetta bits (or Slab Bacon) to the pan and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Hints and Tips: To peel the pearl onions, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the onions and let simmer for two minutes. Drain and quickly transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool down. When cool, easily remove the skins from the onions.
OR
Buy Frozen Pearl Onions that are already peeled and ready to go.
