Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving. Possibly.

                 

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound fresh brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or bacon fat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Red-pepper flakes to taste

Preparation

1.

Preheat oven to 400. Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts, and remove all yellowing exterior leaves. Put the sprouts in a large bowl, and toss with the oil or bacon fat, and season well with salt and pepper.

2.

Pour the sprouts onto a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to brown the vegetables evenly, until crisp on the outside and tender within. Sprinkle a little more salt on them and, if you like, red-pepper flakes.

YIELD

2 servings

Recipe and photo from here.

 

This year my Thanksgiving tasks are to bring a hot vegetable and a green salad. I think I'll do something bold, or boldish, and bring Brussels sprouts, probably the country's least favorite vegetable. Here's what one random commenter on one random website said about them:

 

I think they taste like rage and hatred.

 

I thought that was a hilarious comment. And so fitting for a family holiday. Not all, of course. The cliché about family dysfunction at the holidays is sometimes true, as the blogger  Stargazer sadly reports. But at many gatherings on Thursday there will be only low-key resentment or irritation or tsk-tsking -- normal, day-to-day emotions for humans, don't you think? If not, I need to work on my attitude.