Butterfly Brussels Sprouts
with Maple Syrup & Zesty Panko Crunch
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
These butterfly brussels sprouts are everything I love in a veg side: dark, deeply caramelized edges; crispy-crunchy layers, and big flavor payoff for minimal effort. The butterfly technique looks beautiful on the plate, but more importantly, it splits each sprout into lots of delicate frilly edges, meaning more surface area for seasoning and more of those irresistibly shattery bits. Finished with a quick orange-zesty panko topping, they’re the kind of side that people eat straight off the sheet pan before it ever gets to the table.
Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts
3 TBSP olive oil,
2 TBSP maple syrup
2 tsp Aleppo pepper
½ tsp granulated garlic
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp orange zest
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Trim and halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Use the tip of your knife to score the brussels spout halves lengthwise again, as though you’re going to quarter them, but don’t cut all the way through; leave the stalk end intact.
Use your hands to unfurl the outer layers of the sprouts, forming “butterflies.”
Gently toss in a large bowl with 2 TBSP olive oil, maple syrup, aleppo pepper, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper.
Arrange cut-sides down on a baking sheet and roast until deeply browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.
While brussels sprouts roast, heat remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat and immediately add orange zest, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a small bowl.
When brussels sprouts have finished roasting, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with zesty panko topping.