I never thought I would be writing another Brussels Sprouts post so soon! I have to credit David for making these for me and Viet World Kitchen where he originally got the idea. The idea of adding bacon is obvious, but the trick that makes this absolutely amazing is the addition of a tiny amount of fish sauce. The slight sweetness of the Brussels Sprouts is enhanced by the salt in the fish sauce and the bacon’s savory umami flavor is enhanced by the natural glutamate of the fish. It comes out richly savory with a balanced sweetness that doesn’t taste fishy at all.

I had never blanched Brussels Sprouts before and was excited by how vibrantly green they turned out. I had only blanched kale before and while I appreciated the color I had for some reason never thought to apply the same effect to other vegetables. As an extra step it isn’t too demanding and it produces great results.

Ingredients:

10-15 Brussels Sprouts
1 pot boiling salted water
1-2 strips of bacon (depending on size and love of bacon)
1/4 tsp. fish sauce (3 crabs brand)

First set a large pot of water over high hear and salt it after it comes to a boil. Drop the whole sprouts into the water and cook for 2-3 minutes before draining, shocking them with cold water to stop them from cooking more, and patting them dry a little. Cut them in half and discard the stems and set them aside. cut up the bacon into small pieces and crisp up in a pan. When the bacon is nice and crunchy add the Brussels sprouts into the pan and cook for a minute or two over medium heat to brown them. When you are happy with how they look add the fish sauce stir all together and serve.

Enjoy!