Brown, Dinner Pt 2

Last night's dinner was soooo yum! I don't like monochromatic food presentations, and last night's was pretty brown. Even though there were some brussels sprouts involved. Still, it was terrific. I didn't get any pics, so these below are just metaphorical representations that I snagged from epicurious.



We had steak, just plain with salt and pepper, olive oil and butter, in a pan. (Okay not just any pan, a mustard yellow Le Creuset pan. Yay!) Except these bone-in steaks were like brontosaurus steaks, man! They were so yummy though, that B did a perfect Fred Flintstone impersonation and gobbled up all of his. The key is getting a good, crispy, chary outside.

In the same pan that I made the steak (after letting some of the fat go down the drain) I cooked half a chopped onion and some sliced baby bellas (that were going to go bad) in some chicken stock and red wine and let it reduce. Oh my goodness, that was a revelation. A piece of crusty french bread straight from the oven, a slice of steak and a bit of my mushrooms and onions: the worlds perfect morsel. It's the simplest things that are the yummiest.

Okay, so B doesn't like Brussels sprouts. He still insists on that even though he loves my usual brussels sprouts recipe (it calls for a lot of garlic). Tonight I made them a bit different and he loved them again. He said, "Ok, that's two types of brussels sprouts I now like. But that doesn't mean I like brussels sprouts." Hm.



Brussels Sprouts Recipe:

1 pkg fresh brussels sprouts
1/2 onion, medium dice
1 small tin anchovies - favorite kind
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup chick stock
splash lemon juice
(lemon zest, if the juice is fresh)
splash of olive oil
1 tbsp butter
red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste
(no salt is needed since the anchovies have plenty)

Cook sprouts in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then blanche in a bowl of icewater. Trim and cut in half lengthwise. Meanwhile, brown onions in a pan with olive oil and butter. Add anchovies, breaking them up so they disappear into the onions and fat. Add sprouts open side down so they make contact with the pan and brown. Add remaining ingredients, and let lemon juice and stock evaporate. Brown some more. Serve. Feed to anyone who says they don't like Brussels sprouts.