One of the many amazing things that I love about living in New York City is the endless list of restaurant options. It can be overwhelming for an avid home cook, because while I enjoy staying home and cooking, I also thoroughly enjoy discovering new restaurants and dining out. Often when it comes to choosing between cooking something at home, and going out to eat, I’ll choose the latter. While this significantly depletes my wallet, it contributes heavily to my recipe catalogue. I love sourcing recipes from restaurants that I visit, and whenever I am feeling a lull in creativity in the kitchen, I look to some of my favorite restaurants and dishes for inspiration.
One of my favorite go-to lunch options in midtown is L&W Oyster Bar, on 25th and 5th. It has a simple menu of fresh oysters (obviously), and homey and delicious soups and sandwiches, but it’s their Brussels Sprouts 2 Ways dish that keeps me coming back on a regular basis.
I’ve been wanting to re-create their Brussels Sprouts salad ever since visiting their restaurant for the first time a few years ago. The salad is a mix of raw and roasted Brussels Sprouts, and is served in the style of a Caesar salad, with croutons, parmesan cheese, anchovies (see note below) and a creamy Caesar dressing. It’s the perfect combination of texture and flavor, and I’m so, so happy that my office moved just around the corner from this restaurant so I can satisfy my craving any time I want.
This dish is everything you want in a salad. It’s perfectly satisfying on it’s own, but also pairs up really nicely to heavier dishes. When preparing our Thanksgiving menu, my dad was planning on making roasted Brussels Sprouts. We had a lot of heavy dishes this year, like butternut squash lasagna, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits and traditional stuffing, so I thought having a light, room-temperature salad would pair really nicely with the heavier, warm dishes.
Though I had never made this dish before, I channeled the flavors that I remembered in the salad, and set out to re-create L&W’s amazing dish. I decided to leave out the anchovies because my sister is not a fan, and I thought it wasn’t necessary given the complex flavors of the dressing and the parmesan. Later in researching the traditional Caesar salad, I learned that anchovies were never in the original recipe – the salty, distinct flavor actually comes from the Worcestershire sauce added to the dressing. This dish turned out to be just as I expected, and was a perfect, healthy addition to our Thanksgiving meal. It was an absolute hit on Thanksgiving, and was so easy to put together. I am looking forward to making this recipe time and time again, in the comfort of my own home.
Note: Despite popular belief, the original recipe for Caesar Dressing does not actually include anchovies. The distinct taste comes from raw egg and Worcestershire sauce, which gives it a nice, creamy flavor that goes perfectly with the raw and roasted Brussels Sprouts. If you are nervous about using a raw egg, boiling the egg for one minute should reduce any concern. If possible, use farm-fresh, “happy chicken” eggs for maximum flavor. Adapted from L&W Oyster Co Ingredients For the salad: For the dressing: Recipe For the salad: 1. Prepare the roasted Brussels Sprouts: Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut 1 cup of the Brussels Sprouts in half (or quarters if they are large), and spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper and spread season evenly over the sprouts. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the outside is crispy and the insight is tender. Shake the pan a few times while cooking so they brown evenly Allow to cool to room temperature. 2. Prepare the bread crumbs: While the Brussels Sprouts are roasting, slice the french bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Layer the bread evenly on a baking pan, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake in the oven at 350° F, shaking the pan a few times to evenly distribute browning, until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool. 3. Assemble the salad: Prepare the remaining 2 cups of Brussels Sprouts. Cut the sprouts in 1/2, and then very thinly slice the sprouts so they are julienned (this can be done on a mandolin as well). In a large bowl, add the julienned sprouts, the cooled, roasted Brussels Sprouts, the bread crumbs and the parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. For the dressing: 1. (Optional) Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the egg (still in the shell) to the boiling water for 1 minute, and then remove quickly. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and juice of 1/2 of a lemon until you create an emulsion. Add the egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt and cracked pepper and whisk to combine. 3. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve the salad, re-whisk the salad dressing so that it is evenly combined. Pour the dressing over the sprouts, and mix evenly to distribute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Salad is best served day of.Brussels Sprouts Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing
Cassie's Kitchen 