Tender, crisp, flavourful Sous Vide Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts cooked to perfection and enjoyed as a main or side dish.
I realize that we are at the tail end of Brussels sprouts season, but these Sous Vide Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts are a fave in my household. We make them up until the last sighting of sprouts in the stores.
I didn't always like Brussels sprouts. Back when the Dude and I hooked up, he introduced me to the sprout + bacon pairing and the rest is history. I mean come on, bacon just makes everything better - even cookies and cocktails!
Why Sous Vide?
Yes, I know that this dish can just as easily be made in the oven, or on the grill - we like them that way too. So why pack them in plastic and submerge them in a pot of hot water?
As I touched on here, we love preparing vegetables sous vide. We achieve tender-crisp perfection every time, with pronounced flavour. Vacuum sealing reduces the effects of oxidation, so the colour of your veggies remain vibrant, sometimes intensified. Even the most delicate vegetable stays intact.
Green vegetables tend to lose a bit of their green when prepared sous vide, as I touched on here. However, natural plant sugars that would normally go down the drain when cooked in water, are retained when cooked sous vide. So, flavour, colour (in most cases), and nutrition remain intact.
Baked Bacon is Boss
The Dude would say that grilled bacon is really boss (and I would agree), but being winter, that beast hasn't been fired up in a while. Oven-baked bacon is the next best thing.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF, lay the strips on a rimmed sheet pan covered with foil and bake until perfectly crisp, about 15 minutes. If you want something closer to the grilled version, but do not own a grill, or don't want to fire it up in winter, place a rack over the foil-covered pan and lay the bacon on top. This allows the fat to drip off while cooking.
In the voice of Homer Simpson.... mmmmm, bacon!
Bag It
Vacuum-sealed food makes for the coolest photos, IMO. Be sure to use a bag that is considered safe for food preparation and high heat. I touch on that here. You may use quality freezer bags and the water displacement method, in the absence of a vacuum sealer.
However, sous vide experts do not recommend freezer bags when cooking in temperatures over 71ºC/160ºF, and especially for longer cooks. They tend to fail.
Cook It
Vegetables contain pectin - the stuff that holds their cells together and keeps them firm (thank you grade eight science 😅). It's pretty strong, that pectin, and requires temperatures of 84ºC/183ºF and higher to break down.
This temperature typically works for just about any vegetable, so we generally will cook a few different veggies in one go. Perfect for entertaining meal prep.
For leafy greens, we generally cook at a higher temperature for a shorter time.
Enjoy!
Most days we enjoy these Sous Vide Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts as a side. Once in a while, however, they take centre stage as the main and are quite satisfying as-is, or with a little sprinkling of cheese.
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Ingredients
For the bacon:
- thick cut maple bacon as much or little as you like
For the sprouts:
- Brussels sprouts as needed
- cooked bacon from above
- maple flakes, maple butter or maple syrup optional
For finishing:
- browned butter, maple butter or olive oil or olive oil
- maple flakes if not using maple butter
Instructions
Cook the bacon:
- Heat the oven to 400ºF. While it heats, line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and lay the bacon down in a single layer. You can use a rack over the pan so that the bacon grease drips off. Cook until crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Then cut into pieces.
Heat the water bath:
- Fill a large, heavy-duty pot with warm water. Attach your immersion cooker and set to 85ºC/185ºF. Cover the pot with plastic wrap or foil to speed up heating.
Cook the sprouts:
- Prepare a vacuum bag and arrange the sprouts in a single layer - you may need to spread across a couple bags, depending on the amount you make. Add the bacon pieces. I like to add a little maple sugar/flakes or maple butter for a touch of sweetness. Vacuum seal the bag.
- When the water is at temperature, fully submerge the bag and cook for an hour. Cover the pot with foil or plastic wrap to help contain the heat.
Finishing:
- Option 1: Close to the end of the cook, sauté some onions and garlic in olive oil and add the bag contents, when ready. Cook on high heat so they brown quickly. Sprinkle with grana padano or other cheese and enjoy!Option 2: Heat some butter and maple sugar to a light brown and add the bag contents. Toss on high heat to coat with the butter mixture and brown. Serve and enjoy!The sprouts are already perfectly cooked, so you don't want to overcook them. 3-5 minutes is ideal.
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