Pecan Brussel Sprouts

By Hester

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussell Sprouts, the smaller the better
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and freshley ground pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 fresh lemon, seeds, removed

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim the sprouts, cutting the base cleanly and slicing a little X on the base of each. Pull off any loose or yellow leaves. Add the sprouts to the boiling water, cover the pot, and boil for 10 minutes, no longer. The trick to tasty sprouts is cooking until they're just tender - overcooked sprouts have a strong flavor.

Once cooked, drain and immediately immerse the sprouts in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain sprouts again, pressing lightly to remove excess water, then place in a covered bowl and refrigerate.

When you're ready to serve the sprouts, heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbly and beginning to turn a bit brown, add the nuts and toast for a minute. Return the sprouts to the pan, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sprouts are just heated through. Season with salt and pepper and juice from lemon.