Thai-style sprouts: spicy, garlicky, tart

Photo: Hot Thai Kitchen

Seared sprouts in a pounded dressing of cilantro stems, garlic, Thai chili, palm sugar, lime and fish sauce, with sliced shallot and peanuts. Bright enough to wake up a heavy meal.

From Pailin Chongchitnant at Hot Thai Kitchen · @hotthaikitchen

It's a Thai salad dressing doing what a cream sauce usually does, so the sprouts taste fresh instead of heavy.

You need

• 1 lb (450 g) Brussels sprouts, small ones preferred, halved (quartered if large)
• 2 to 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves
• 1 to 2 Thai chilies, to taste
• 8 cilantro sprigs, leaves and stems separated
• 1 1/2 tbsp (18 g) palm sugar, finely chopped and packed (or light brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

How to make it

1. Make the dressing first so it has time to sit: roughly chop the cilantro stems and pound them in a mortar with the garlic and chilies to a coarse paste (or grate the garlic and finely mince the stems and chilies). Pound in the palm sugar until it melts, then stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Add the shallot and let it sit.
2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil, add the sprouts and turn them cut side down. Set over medium-high heat and leave them until the undersides are well browned, 4 to 5 minutes; add a splash more oil if the pan looks dry.
3. Toss, flip any that didn't turn, and cook about 1 minute more. A fork should go in with a little resistance in the middle; they should still be bright green. (For softer sprouts or a bigger batch, roast them cut side down at 450°F/230°C for about 15 minutes instead.)
4. Tip the hot sprouts into a bowl, pour over the dressing and toss. Chop the cilantro leaves and toss them in.
5. Serve on a flat platter with a little depth (a deep bowl lets the dressing pool and drown the bottom ones) and scatter the peanuts over.

Written in our own words from Pailin Chongchitnant's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Thai-style sprouts: spicy, garlicky, tart, Hot Thai Kitchen.

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