Spiced Tahini Sauce for Brussels Sprouts
This simple tahini sauce is the perfect sauce for brussels sprouts; it's got a lot of crunch and salty, savory, sour, and even a hint of sweet flavors.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 2 Tablespoons lard or other high-heat oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove raw garlic
- 2 Tablespoons water or oil of choice
- ½ Tablespoon gochujang or hot sauce optional
- 2 Tablespoons chopped roasted almonds
- ½ Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon sumac
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seed
- 1 Tablespoon of pomegranate molasses for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C), and then wash your brussels sprouts. Dry them off thoroughly, to facilitate the bake-frying of the brussels, and then chop off the bottoms enough to be able to slice each sprout into 2 or 3 pieces.
- Cut the remaining sprouts in halves or thirds, then put them with any stray leaves into a mixing bowl, and toss them with 1/2 teaspoon of salt & lard or oil of choice. Bake for 5 minutes, then move them around and turn the tray to ensure even baking. Cook for 4-6 more minutes, until crispy and somewhat browned, but not burnt.
- While your brussels are cooking, prepare the nuts & spices and tahini sauce. Add the tahini, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, garlic, gochujang (if using), and water or oil to your food processor and blend well (about 1 minute), then taste it. If the tahini sauce is too bitter, blend in up to 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup, then set aside.
- Next, chop the almonds and add them to a small bowl along with the sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, and coriander. Once your brussels sprouts are cooked, put them into your serving bowl, top them evenly with the tahini sauce, sprinkle on the spice blend, and then drizzle on the pomegranate molasses. Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Don't Burn Them!: Keep an eye on your brussels sprouts during the last couple minutes of cooking, because that's when they're crisping up the most (or even maybe burning).
Pomegranate Molasses: If you choose not to use pomegranate molasses, date syrup or a mixture of agave syrup & lemon juice would make for decent subs.
Whipping the Tahini Sauce: it's important to whip the tahini sauce during its stage of preparation, because otherwise it won't have the same level of impact. If you still find the sauce too thick to spread when you're adding it to the brussels sprouts, add another tablespoon of oil or water to the processor with the remaining sauce, and blend until re-whipped.