Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Basic Brussels Sprouts, recipe follows
• 6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch lardon
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1-ounce blue cheese, crumbled
• Fresh ground nutmeg to taste
• Kosher salt to taste

Directions

1. Cook bacon until crisp and brown.
2. Remove bacon and all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan, set aside.
3. Decrease the heat to low. Add onion and sweat with a pinch of salt until they turn semi-translucent.
4. Add the apple and continue to cook for another minute.
5. Add the Brussels sprouts, heavy cream and mustard and cook just until the Brussels sprouts are heated through, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, blue cheese and nutmeg. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Basic Brussels Sprouts

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Trim sprout stems and remove any yellowing outer leaves. Cut each in half longitudinally.
2. Add sprouts, water and salt into a 3 to 4-quart saucier and cover. Cook over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain and serve.