As a child, not many of us liked to eat our veggies, especially Brussels sprouts. For me, my family rarely, if ever, served Brussels spouts, so I was actually not very familiar with them, but I know my friends did not like them. The first time my family served Brussels sprout, I was a little hesitant to try. However, I am so glad I did! For me personally, as I got older, I started to enjoy more complex and bitter flavors. I’ve taken a strong liking to the vegetable and will order it at almost any restaurant that serves it.
One of my favorite Brussels sprouts dish is from Slurping Turtle. The different textures of crispy and crunchy paired with the savory umami soy is so addicting! Chef Thony from Slurping Turtle has graciously provided this one-of-a-kind recipe for their Brussels sprouts! Chef Thony is the sous chef at Slurping Turtle and he has been making waves at the restaurant. He has improved many of their in-house recipes and I am so excited to share this one with you! Make this and you’ll realize what I’m talking about!
- For the umami soy:
- 1 cup of soy sauce
- ½ cup of sake
- ½ cup of Mirin
- 2” x 3” piece of kombu
- ½ cup bonito flakes
- For crispy shallots:
- 5 shallots, peeled
- 1 cup of rice flour
- ½ gallon of frying oil, corn oil works fine
- Salt to taste
- For the brussels sprouts:
- ½ gallon of frying oil
- 4 oz of Brussels sprouts, cut in quarters
- ½ oz scallions, sliced thin
- 1 oz umami soy
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of togarashi spice
- 2 Tablespoons crispy shallots
- Bring everything to a boil except the bonito.
- Add the bonito flakes once it’s boiling, turn off the heat and cool down overnight.
- *Strain the kombu and bonito flakes through a chinacap or a chinois the next day.
- Preheat the oil at 325 degrees F.
- Shave the shallots about ⅛ inch thick with a Japanese mandolin. They should come out like thin rings.
- Dredge the shallots in the rice flour.
- Lightly shake them to break them apart, and to shake off the excess flour.
- **Fry a handful at time once the oil is ready, keep the shallots moving with a spider.
- Take shallots out onto a cooling rack once they start to get slightly brown. The shallots will continue cooking as you take them out.
- ***Season the shallots with salt.
- Preheat the oil to 325 degrees F.
- Use a high sided pot for this as the Brussels will create a lot of bubbles and pop.
- Fry the Brussels sprouts, for about 1-2 minutes. You want to still have a little bit of green from the Brussels sprouts.
- Season very lightly with salt.
- Toss with the umami soy, togarashi, and scallions.
- Garnish with the crispy shallots and enjoy!
**Moving the shallots while frying helps to evenly cook the shallots.
***Always season right after you fry an item. This will help the salt stick to the food.
FAB TIP: The shallots will stay crispy in an air tight container for about a week. Since they are fried in rice flour, they are actually GLUTEN FREE!
Brussel Sprouts at Slurping Turtle // Photo: @vansventures
Itadakimasu (bon appétit)!
Did you get a chance to try it at the restaurant? What’s your favorite side there? Give the recipe a go and let us know if it was a success!
Until the next venture!
With love,
Van
