Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Growing up, the most reviled side dish my mother would serve was brussels sprouts. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe she boiled them. I knew I was in for a horror of a dinner when the odor wafting throughout the house smelled like something that crawled out of a dead goat's butt.

Fast forward 60 years and a little invention called the air fryer have turned brussels sprouts into a most revered delicacy. Gone are the mushy, boiled baby cabbage nightmares of my youth. The air fryer makes the leaves brittle and imbues the vegetable with a very serious crunch.

But just having a potato chip-like crunch is not enough. This Melissa Clark recipe adds slivers of garlic, which in fact the air fryer converts to garlic chips. But it doesn't stop there. There is a bath with thickened balsamic vinegar...a dash of soy sauce for your daily requirement of umami....and crowned with the juice of a fresh squeezed lime. Hasta la vista, baby...the goat has left the building!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through the stems

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of lime juice, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Set air fryer to 400º. Preheat for 3 minutes.
2. Place brussels sprouts in the air fryer; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt. Fry for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Sprinkle sprouts with garlic. Continue to fry until garlic is golden brown, 2-4 minutes.
4. Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer. When vinegar has thickened (about 2-3 minutes), remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice and soy sauce.
5. Transfer brussels sprouts to a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic dressing. Squeeze more lime juice on top to taste, then serve.

Grogs and Goldie, 1956