Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

If you’ve ever struggled to get people excited about Brussels sprouts, this gratin is your answer. Blanched sprouts and chopped bacon get baked in heavy cream under a crown of buttered bread crumbs until everything is bubbling and golden. Even the most committed sprout skeptic will reach for seconds.

Blanching the sprouts first is a must. Five minutes in boiling salted water, then straight into ice water to stop the cooking. This sets their bright green color and cooks out the raw, sulfurous bite that makes people hate Brussels sprouts. The X cut into each stem end isn’t fussy tradition; it lets heat penetrate the dense core so the outside doesn’t turn mushy before the inside cooks through.

The bacon gets cooked just until limp, not crispy. It finishes cooking in the oven and crisps up there. If you fry it crisp beforehand, it’ll be burnt and crumbly by the time the gratin is done.

Chef Tips

• Don’t let the blanched sprouts sit in the ice water longer than a minute. They absorb water quickly and will make the gratin soggy.
• Use fresh bread crumbs, not the dry, sandy kind from a canister. Fresh crumbs toast up golden and crunchy in the oven.
• The cream should just barely cover the sprouts. Too much and the dish is soupy. You want it to reduce into a thick, clinging sauce.

Variations

• Add grated Gruyere or Parmesan to the bread crumb topping for a cheesier crust.
• Toss in halved chestnuts alongside the bacon for a holiday-worthy side dish.
• Use pancetta instead of bacon for a more refined, less smoky flavor.