Several years ago when I was visiting family in Southern California, my sister-in-law and I went to lunch at the Lazy Dog Restaurant. We ordered their Brussels Sprouts and they were amazing! Since the ingredients were listed right on the menu, I came home and recreated the dish with a couple of my own twists. I arrived very happily at Charred Lemon Caper Brussels Sprouts.
Depending on the size of your Brussels sprouts, you might need to cut them in half at least, if not in quarters. One of the points of this recipe is that the Brussels sprouts get charred and if they are too big, there's less of a chance of proper charring and more chance of steaming. Of course, you can use a baking sheet! Or you can use a cast iron pan, which is my personal favorite.
What are capers?
Capers are actually flower buds that come from a perennial bush in Mediterranean climates. They are bitter straight from the bush, but after they are pickled, they are delicious! So using them in recipes adds both acidity and saltiness.
While the sprouts are roasting, make the sauce. Put the butter over very low heat to melt. Once it's melted, add the chopped garlic and let it sit in the melted butter for about five minutes, still over low heat. You're just looking to flavor the butter with the garlic. Then add the capers and lemon juice and put back over low heat just to heat through, about two minutes.
When the Brussels sprouts are done, they will have some decidedly dark charring. At this point it's up to you on whether you allow them to char more or not. The broiler is handy with this last minute "almost-burn-it" step, but keep a close watch on it! The errant leaves that come off when you cut the sprouts have a tendency to go up in smoke!
When the sprouts are charred to your liking, coat them with the lemon caper butter sauce.
And the final touch to the Charred Lemon Caper Sprouts ... is a grating of Parmesan cheese! So delicious.
Other Recipes you might like:
- Pork Chops with Marsala Fig Sauce
- Cauliflower Gratin with Breadcrumbs
- Grilled Lemon Garlic Pork Chops
- Braised Greens with Bacon
Recipe
Charred Lemon Caper Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts cut in half or quarters
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic crushed with a chef's knife and chopped small
- ½ cup capers
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, then spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. No parchment paper needed in a cast-iron skillet.
- Roast for 30 minutes until they are well-charred. Use the broiler at the last minute, if needed.
- While they roast, melt the butter over low heat, then add the garlic. Let it sit over low heat for 5 minutes to flavor the butter. Add the capers and lemon juice and allow it all to heat till warm.
- When the Brussels sprouts are done, cover them with the lemon caper sauce.
- Grate fresh Parmesan over the top and serve it up pronto.
Tanya
So I’ve actually tried this two ways with lemon juice in a bottle and with squeezed lemon juice. I prefer lemon juice in the bottle as the lemon taste isn’t as over bearing. I made this for a friends giving party about 6lbs of Brussel sprouts and there wasn’t any left! Such a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it was delicious!!
Tammy Circeo
Six pounds of sprouts! Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Jana Lundh
I just had these at Lazy Dog last night, and they never disappoint! Such a delish dish! Can't wait to replicate them at home. Thank you for the recipe!
Tammy Circeo
I hope this lives up to your expectations!
Felipa
Yummy! Even better than the original!
Tammy Circeo
Thank you, Felipa! Homemade is often better, right?!
Lou
Thank you for posting this! This is my favorite dish from that restaurant and I was looking to recreate it at home. It turned out just as good, especially using real parmigiano-reggiano to finish it off. The one thing missing was the rustic croutons they add to the dish, but that might have been something they added to the recipe sometime after you ate there. I'm trying to cut carbs so I didn't mind at all but either way, super tasty, and you can always cube some older bread you have laying around and throw it in the oven with some olive oil if the croutons sound good to you.
Tammy Circeo
You are so welcome! I do hope you enjoy it!