28. BRUSSEL SPROUTS LEAVES COOKED WITH BACON and MIREPOIX

4 large portions

1 pound Brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil or rendered duck fat

Mirepoix:
1 small carrot (2 ounces), diced
1/2 large stalk of celery (2 ounces), diced
1/2 yellow onion (3 ounces), diced
2 ounces bacon, thinly sliced, diced
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
white wine vinegar

Working with one sprout at a time, remove as many of the outer leaves as you can until you reach those firmly attached the core. Trim the stem end freeing more leaves and repeat until your each the dense center. Slice the center thin.

Warm the olive oil or duck fat in a 6-quart noncorroding saucepan. Add the mirepoix and pancetta and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, without browning the vegetables, until they have softened. Add the water and the Brussel sprouts leaves, sprinkle with the salt, and stir well to combine. Cover the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every so often until the leaves are tender. Season the leaves with a little freshly ground pepper, correct for salt, and add a dash of vinegar. Serve while the color is still vivid.


courtesy of: Chez Panisse Cooking by Paul Bertolli with Alice Waters. New York: Random House, Inc., 1988, p. 89.