Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Did you grow up disliking soggy, cabbage-smelling Brussels sprouts? I did. Then I discovered how delicious pan-fried Brussels sprouts. With a bit of charring and some cured pork fat if you like they are delicious! I like to use a spicy, chilli-flecked pancetta (or the black pepper-dusted one from Salumi Australia), but a mild one works just as well, or skip the pancetta and use an extra tablespoon of olive oil for a vegetarian dish. I’m happy to eat a plate of these with some crunchy bread as a light meal, in which case a glass of Poppelvej Rookie is a great accompaniment. It’s grenache, but not as we often see it, lighter and with some lovely herbal notes to match the sprouts.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 golden shallot, finely diced
  • 125g flat pancetta, diced
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • 350g Brussels sprouts, halved lengthways
Method
  1. Place oil, shallot and pancetta in a heavy-based frying pan (cast-iron is ideal), over medium heat.
  2. Add a good sprinkle of salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered.
  3. Push pancetta to the sides of the pan, place sprouts into the pan in a single layer, cut side down and gently push pancetta back over and around them.
  4. Add ¼ cup boiling water, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until water has evaporated and sprouts are tender at the stem end.
  5. Uncover, increase heat to high and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until cut side is well-coloured.
  6. Serve caramelised Brussels sprouts in the pan.

Share page on:

Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts

Join Me Soon

What Our Cooks Say

Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Read More
We made the pot-sticker dumplings and bang bang chicken from the Chinese class the other night. Once again both exceeded our expectations. My husband keeps saying it’s better than going out to restaurants as the recipes and quality are amazing.
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Read More
The whole Be Inspired experience has helped me love cooking again. I was sick of cooking the same old things - meal time is a lot brighter thanks to you Roberta.
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Read More
Your recipes are something I always feel confident offering guests and also reasonable in the time to prepare. We often try your recommended wines and suppliers and enjoy your travel tales too!
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Read More
Thank you for stocking our pantry with such authentic Ingredients and quality produce. We really like the flexibility of cooking over a couple of days and changing the order we cook the dishes in when we want to. And I love listening to the themed playlist while cooking.
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Read More
I am absolutely loving Be Inspired! There are ingredients I have never worked with before so having the confidence to try something new is so much fun! The recipes are just amazing and the notes on what can be prep’d beforehand are a great help too. Thank you so much.
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Read More
Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's classes – the family are reaping the benefits now.
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Read More
Food, wine and travel! Three of my favourite things! Be Inspired with Roberta has been a wonderful experience and given me more confidence in the kitchen. I have learnt so much, cooked things I never would have attempted without Roberta’s excellent videos, and used ingredients I have never tried before.
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Read More
I'm a competent cook whose learned so much from Roberta's online cooking classes. The recipes are yummy and Roberta’s video guidance offers so many little tips to improve flavour and organise the flow of preparation. I enjoy her warmth, sense of humour, and ability to giggle at herself when she occasionally messes up.
Previous
Next
Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)