Spicy Brussels Sprout
From the @whiskey_CA_mmelier Collaboration Dinner
This is the appetizer for the Whiskey Pairing Dinner. Brussels Sprouts are one of our favorite falltime veggies, especially when they’re made crispy. There are so many unique toppings for sprouts (sprouts!) that they’ll never get boring. Pairing. I hinted to @whiskey_CA_mmelier that the sprouts I wanted to make were spicy sprouts and he was not pleased. Alcohol and pepper hit the same flavor receptors on the palette and it is therefore very difficult to make a pairing. We settled on an only slightly spicy, mildly sweet sprout and decided to go rogue and open our pairing with a scotch! A mild one. The initial idea was Bruichladdich, a young but incredibly refined Islay scotch – that’s why the signature blue bottle is visible in some of the photos. After much discussion, however, we turned to the sweeter, fuller Scapa Skiren from Orkney Island. It brought out the sweetness of the sprouts really well with banana/melon on the nose and walnut on the backside (as @whiskey_CA_mmelier’s wife pointed out, who was better than all three of us at tasting).
what you need
1 batch of fresh Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Toppings: toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds (my favorite!), toasted pecans (pictured here), hydrated golden raisins (soaked in water for an hour), parmesan cheese, feta cheese crumble with bacon.
Whiskey Pairing: Scapa Skiren Scotch Whiskey – The Orcadian
how to make it
Heat oven to 400. Cut the ends off the sprouts, then cut in half or quarters depending on their size. Toss them in olive oil and desired spices, and spread out onto lined baking sheet (for a crispier sprout) or cast iron pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and stir generously, adding a bit more spice at this point if you desire (I may have drizzled some honey). Return and bake another 10 minutes.
If using toppings that are not pre-toasted like pecans, sprinkle the pecans and cook for another 3-5 minutes. You definitely want some crisp, burnt sprouts but obviously not to char the whole lot, so just keep an eye on them. Serve warm!
Pecan Pie
This is the dessert for the Whiskey Pairing Dinner generously provided by The Piemaker. I’ve never been a huge pecan pie fan (nor was I a big Key Lime Pie fan) until The Piemaker came into my life. This pecan pie is as ‘from scratch’ as it comes, with hints of bourbon and maple folded into the filling, served with a luxurious maple cinnamon cream. This is a decadent dessert – decadent is an understatement. But if you’re looking to level up your Holiday meal game, this is the place to start. We definitely felt the need to eat one and a half slices… 😃
Saturday Supper I
What happens when it rains sideways on Saturday, you’ve got a fresh tub of Maryland blue crab meat, and someone gets a hankering for sangria? Carriages at midnight. Ambulances at 2am. Wheelbarrows at 5am. Hearses at daybreak.
Sazerac
This is the opening cocktail for the Whiskey Pairing Dinner. The Rye Sazerac is one of the oldest, prohibition-era cocktails. It’s classic, elegant, and simple. With rye whiskey, lemon, absinthe, and bitters, a Sazerac is as refined as a cocktail can be. Here we present this simple cocktail recipe as a forward to the rest of a classic meal. The absinthe on the nose provides an interesting twist to a classically whiskey-based cocktail. We used Sazerac Rye as the base.
