Savory Sprouts

This is one of those recipes that you find scribbled down on a torn piece of paper and stuck without attribution into your recipe box.  Jeff's only guess as to its source is that it came from a high school friend’s family.  But who knows?  What makes this side dish so different is that it does not try to counteract the slight bitterness of the sprouts by adding in sugar or other sweet ingredients.  Rather it goes the other direction and adds in savory flavors like mustard seed.  The use of blood oranges is not only done for color, but also flavor as they are less sweet than typical oranges, and thus play together perfectly with the other ingredients in this dish.  

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
¼ cup reduced stock
2 blood oranges, peeled, broken into segments
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized pan.  When hot, add in mustard seeds, cover pan, and let the seeds pop.  When the popping subsides, reduce the heat to medium and add in diced onion.  Sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add in the garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add in the halved brussels sprouts and stock.   Bring stock to a simmer, cover pan, and cook until the sprouts tender and the stock has almost boiled away, at least 5 minutes.  When ready, remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and toss in the halved blood orange segments.  Serve warm.

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