by Oui, Chef
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Oui, Chef's Notes:
Expand1 pound brussel sprouts Ask a question about this ingredient
1 bulb fennel Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup apple cider Ask a question about this ingredient
1/3 cup dried cranberries Ask a question about this ingredient
4 slices, thick cut bacon Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon butter for the dish Ask a question about this ingredient
kosher salt and pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 375 ℉
Ask a question about this stepButter the bottom and sides of a shallow gratin dish.
Ask a question about this stepTake the apple cider and place in a saucepan over high heat, reduce by half to approximately 1/4 cup.
Ask a question about this stepQuarter the fennel, cut out the wedge shaped root at the base, and thinly slice. Saute in a pan over medium-low heat with a little olive oil and butter, season with salt and pepper. Cook until it is lightly caramelized, and just starting to soften. When done, spoon the fennel into the gratin dish in an even layer.
Ask a question about this stepTrim the stems of the sprouts, removing any tough outer leaves, and quarter them. Add to the pan that the fennel was cooked in, with a touch more oil and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until the brussel sprouts are nicely browned on a few sides, but still maintain a vibrant green color, 7-8 minutes. When done, pour them over the fennel in the gratin dish.
Ask a question about this stepCombine the reduced apple cider with the cream and pour over the sprouts and fennel, sprinkle with the cranberries, season with salt and pepper, and cover with aluminum foil. Place into the oven for 30 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepWhile the sprouts are cooking, cut the bacon into lardons and cook until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and reserve.
Ask a question about this stepRemove the dish from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle with the cooked lardons to serve.
Ask a question about this stepI made this tonight but had a serious problem. I reduced the cider as suggested, and did that in fact while I was preparing the Brussels sprouts. When I had completed through Step 5, I poured the cream in the pan in which I'd reduced the cider and it immediately curdled. I thought perhaps the problem was that the cider was too hot. The cream had been out on the counter since I started my prep, so it wasn't ice cold. So I tried again, this time freezing a metal measuring cup while I was reducing the cider, then putting the reduced cider into the cold cup and wrapping it with a sports ice pack to get it cold as quickly as possible. (It worked really well, by the way.) I poured the cider into some new cream, which by this time was practically room temperature. It didn't curdle immediately. It did, however, while the dish was roasting. Perhaps it was the acidity of the cider that was the problem? I used an unfiltered organic that was quite tasty. Fortunately, we were just the two of us tonight, and this being the thirtieth Valentine's Day we've celebrated, it was of course a nice dinner anyway. In any event, it seems that there must be a lesson here somewhere . . . . . Any ideas? I was really pleased, by the way, at how the dried cranberries mellowed out when cooked with the vegetables in the oven. The bacon is a nice touch, too. Really makes the dish, in fact. Thanks! ;o)
Antonia - Interesting....I suppose it could be a thermal reaction, but I think it odd. I keep reduced cider in my fridge to use on many things, so to be honest, my mix has always been between cold cream and cold cider....no problems. I have had curdling or separation problems on various recipes when trying to lighten the fat load by substituting light cream or half and half where a recipe called for heavy cream. Could that have been an issue? I'll play with this some myself and let you know what I find. Lovely to hear of your 30th Valentine's celebration, and hope this recipe didn't put too much of a crimp in your evening. Thanks for letting me know of the problem, and I'm glad to hear that you ultimately enjoyed the dish. Best - S
Sounds delicious - a nice combination of sweet, salty, and tart.
Can't seem to reply directing to your response . . . I used "heavy whipping cream," which is the heaviest dairy product that isn't butter that I can obtain at my local shops. The cider is a tart organic unfiltered but given that there was no instant curdling with the tepid cider and room temperature cream, I'm inclined to think that the intense heat was the culprit. I've done some research (perused several science-of-cooking resources that I own) and confirmed that heat can cause curdling. I adjusted my convection oven down to 350 degrees as recommended. Mr. T. didn't mind at all. He's a kind, understanding sort who, nearly without exception is pleased with, and is always very grateful for, whatever is set before him. The curdling didn't bother me, either, really. I did though want to alert others to the possibility.