These shaved fried Brussels sprouts are soooo crispy and delicious!
Getting these just right was a labor of love...
I mean that. We LOVE eating Brussels sprouts!!
The Secrets of Crunchy Fried Brussels Sprouts
After much trial & error, we discovered that when using a home fryer, having the Brussel sprouts warmed and NOT chilled made a big difference in the finished result. In commercial fryers, this likely isn't a problem. But, in home fryers, we found the oil temp dropped considerably when using still chilled sprouts.
Another tip is to make sure your sprouts are thoroughly dry. We washed and trimmed our Brussels sprouts, removing the bottom part and outer leaves. I would then lie them out on a towel to dry and come up to room temperature.
If you're in a hurry, you can pop them in the microwave for a few minutes on a low power level to warm them quickly.
Then, we shaved the Brussels sprouts using our food processor. You certainly do not have to do this, but we found that shaving the sprouts gave us consistently crunchy Brussels sprouts. They are almost like a "keto chip" they are so crunchy and delicious.
How To Get Crispy Halved Brussels Sprouts
With the help of my super-talented cousin (Seriously, he's an amazing chef...) we figured out how to get super crispy restauraunt quality halved brussels sprouts as well.
We really struggled with getting larger sprouts to be super crispy like they are served at restaurants.
My cousin solved the problem with two suggestions.
First, fill your basket with only a handful of halved Brussels sprouts so they have a lot more room than you think they need.
Then, put the lid on the fryer, drop the basket for about 20 seconds and then remove the lid from the fryer for the rest of the cooking. He said the condensation can also give less than crispy results!!
We let the oil reheat for about two minutes in between batches.
Avocado Oil - The Perfect Frying Fat?
Vegetable oils are bad for you and should be avoided...
Why?
Vegetable oils like canola oil are easily oxidized due to their high quantity of polyunsaturated fats or PUFAs for short.
Vegetable oils contain trans fat in them even if the label indicates 0g of trans fat. Labeling standards allow food manufacturers to label a product free of trans fat even if there is some in the product as long as it doesn't cross a certain threshold.
Vegetable oils are already a compromised product and when we apply high heat to it - BOOM! More oxidation, more free radicals, more damage to the body.
Enter Avocado Oil
Avocado oil has a similar lipid (fat) profile to olive oil. At over 70% monounsaturated fats, avocado oil is a champ when it comes to being heated.
In fact, avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil: 480F vs 380F. This means our fryer, which can only reach 374F, should never be able to burn the avocado oil that we use in it.
The only drawback to using avocado oil is the cost. It does cost more to use a quality oil to fry our brussels sprouts. However, we know that in the end, a few dollars spent on oil can save us hundreds if not thousands in future medical bills. We believe it is worth it.
I don't know that you even really need a recipe for this... but here ya go!
Crispy Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts
- avocado oil
- salt
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Wash and prep your Brussels sprouts. Make sure your Brussels sprouts are dry and room temperature.
- Fill your fryer with avocado oil and preheat your fryer to 374 degrees.
- Once the oil is preheated, carefully place a batch of sprouts in your fryer basket. Cover your fryer with the lid and drop the basket. (If you drop the basket without the lid, you'll get a lot of oil splatter and may burn yourself. Be careful!)
- Cook Brussels sprouts in batches, being careful not to crowd them. Sprouts are done when nicely browned. Time will vary based on fryer. A general guideline is 5-7 minutes per batch to cook.
- Remove sprouts from fryer and place into a bowl. Allow the oil to reheat while you season the finished sprouts with a little sea salt and grated Parmesan cheese!
- Repeat until you've cooked all your sprouts. Enjoy your crispy fried Brussels sprouts!
How To Reheat Fried Brussels Sprouts
I'm so glad you asked!!
Leftover fried Brussels sprouts are best reheated in the oven.
Set your oven to 350 degrees.
Then, place your leftovers in an oven safe bowl and pop them in the oven for about ten minutes.
You can use the microwave as well. To reheat your fried Brussels sprouts in the microwave, place them in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute.
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