★ ON THE MENU · RECIPES ★
Halved, dropped raw into 375°F oil for three minutes, drained, then tossed in a sauce of honey, sriracha, and lime. The leaves shatter, the cores stay tender.
Most people only know brussels sprouts roasted on a sheet pan. Fried changes everything. The outer leaves blow apart into shards that crackle, and the cores end up tender without the bitter edge that boiled or roasted sprouts get.
Phyllis Grant's Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Sriracha on Food52 is the version that turned a vegetable into a side dish people actually fight over. The Hurricane Bay HB-4 holds 375°F across 4 gallons of oil, which is hot enough to flash-fry the sprouts in 3 minutes without overcooking the inside. Higher temp, shorter cook, big sauce.
★ The Sauce Pairing
Fresh brussels sprouts hold up in the fryer in a way frozen sprouts can't because frozen sprouts release too much water and cool the oil. Walmart's bagged sprouts are consistent in size so the halves cook evenly. Pair with Huy Fong sriracha for the right level of heat in the sauce.
Member's Mark Peanut OilCut off the dry bottoms and remove any yellowed outer leaves. Halve them lengthwise through the core. The loose leaves that fall off as you cut are the best part, save them.
Pat the sprouts as dry as you can with paper towels. Wet sprouts hitting hot oil will spit violently. This is the whole reason for the higher oil temperature, you want zero water on the surface.
In a large metal bowl, whisk the honey, sriracha, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. The bowl needs to be big enough to toss everything in.
Fill the Hurricane Bay HB-4 with 4 gallons of peanut oil and bring to 375°F. The 90,000 BTU burner climbs the last 25 degrees from chicken-temperature in about 3 minutes.
Lower a third of the sprouts into the basket. They will sputter and pop, that is the moisture leaving. Fry 2 1/2 to 3 minutes until the loose leaves are deep brown and the cores are tender.
Pull the basket and shake off excess oil. Don't blot. The residual oil helps the sauce stick.
Dump the hot sprouts straight into the bowl with the honey-sriracha-lime sauce and toss. Do this fast, while they are still steaming, so the sauce reduces and clings.
Wait 60 seconds for the oil to come back to 375°F, then fry the next batch and add them to the same bowl. Toss the whole pile together at the end and finish with sesame seeds if you've got them.
The Hurricane Bay HB-4: 4 gallons, 90,000 BTU, 12-gauge American steel, V-drain. The fryer this recipe was tested in.
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