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To frizzle means to cook something until it sizzles, turning crisp and browned. You can combine the smoky taste of char with Mizrachi and Sephardic seasonings, lots of garlic and the tang of amba (or mustard) to create Oven-Frizzled Brussels Sprouts, a distinctive side dish for Thanksgiving or seasonal Shabbat dinners.
Amba is an Israeli-Iraqi condiment made from fermented sour mango and curry-like seasonings. It is available at kosher, Middle Eastern, specialty and online markets. It is best known as a topping for falafel or sabich, the Iraqi Jewish eggplant sandwich, but it adds a savory and tart flavor to many foods. If it’s unavailable, you can substitute mustard. (See recipe notes.)
The recipe serves four and easily doubles or triples for a crowd. Use a separate baking sheet for each pound of sprouts.
Oven-Frizzled Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4
- About ⅓ cup oil, divided
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
- ¼ cup chopped garlic, cut in ¼-inch pieces
- 1 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt, plus as needed
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. crumbled dried mint leaves
- ¼ tsp. red chili flakes, plus as needed
- 1-3 Tbs. amba (see notes), divided
- 2 Tbs. tahini
- 1-2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, optional
Brush large, rimmed baking sheet with 2-3 Tbs. oil. Put pan on center rack in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
While oven heats, trim ends off sprouts and cut in half from top to bottom. Place in large bowl, including any loose leaves. (They make the best charred bits.)
Stir garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, mint, chili flakes and 2 Tbs. oil into sprouts. Mix until evenly coated. Add 1 Tbs. oil if needed.
Once oven reaches 450 degrees, remove hot baking sheet. Close oven door to retain heat. Spoon a few sprouts onto hot pan and listen for the sizzle. If they sizzle, spread the rest in a single layer on baking sheet and return to oven. If they do not sizzle, oil is not hot enough. Return sprouts to bowl and return pan to oven for 10 minutes and try again.
Roast sprouts for 10 minutes, turn with a spatula and roast for another 10 minutes. Pierce with a fork to check tenderness. (For crisper sprouts, fork should meet a little resistance in center, for softer ones, it should glide through.) Continue cooking, turning and testing in 5-minute increments until sprouts are at desired texture and as brown or charred as you like. (I like them blackened.) If the sprouts are browning faster than you’d like, remove from oven, transfer to microwave-safe bowl and finish in microwave on high, heating and stirring in 30 second intervals until cooked through.
Turn hot, roasted sprouts into large bowl. Mix 1 Tbs. amba with 1 Tbs. oil. Stir into sprouts. Taste. Add second tablespoon amba if desired as well as more salt and or chili flakes if needed. Serve hot, warm or room temperature, drizzled with additional 1 Tbs. of amba and the tahini and sprinkled with parsley.
Notes: I like to pass additional tahini for guests to mix with the sprouts. If you need a substitute for amba, mix 1 tsp. yellow mustard with 1 Tbs. oil. Mix into sprouts. Taste. Add 1-2 tsp. more mustard as desired. Garnish with tahini and parsley.
To make ahead: Prep sprouts and toss with oil, garlic and seasonings and refrigerate for 1 day. Bring to room temperature. Roast as directed. To roast in advance, slightly undercook. Do not add amba mixture yet. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature. Roast on oiled baking sheet tray in 450 degree oven, turning occasionally until crisped and heated (about 10-15 minutes). Finish with amba as directed.