We are a house divided where Brussel sprouts are concerned. I personally will never turn one down, but don’t ask my 8 year old to even look at them.
One of my families favorite ways to eat Brussels sprouts is slathered in gorgonzola sauce (or the vegan version of said sauce.) It took me a while to figure out a vegan version of my favorite cheese sauce, but once I did I could not stop making things with it! It is DELICIOUS!
So when I began daydreaming about new Brussels recipes, I knew it had to involve gorgonzola. And of course, I knew I should deep fry them, because I’m from the south, and we will attempt to fry just about anything down south! T
hese turned out better than I even imagined! I served my first batch at our New Years Eve party and there was not a single Brussels sprout left on the plate.
Even friends who declared they detest Brussels sprouts gobbled them up….then again, they are fried sooooooo, thats a game changer!
So not matter if you already love, or (think you) hate Brussels sprouts, try battering them in gooey vegan gorgonzola sauce, deep frying them, then let me know what you think!
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
2/3 cups all purpose flour
8 oz panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 batch gorgonzola cheese sauce
oil for frying
Gorgonzola cheese sauce:
1/2 cup cashews (I use unroasted, unsalted)
1 cup water (plus more for soaking cashews)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch
juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons stone ground dijon mustard divided ( the kind with the seeds in it)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light miso paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plant based milk
Instructions:
Wash Brussels sprouts and trim off the ends. Place cleaned sprouts in microwave safe bowl and add 1/2 cups of water. Microwave for 5 minutes. If you do not own a microwave, you can steam the sprouts on the the stove top in a steamer basket until they are tender, but not mushy. Drain water from spouts, rinse in cold water, and allow them to cool.
While sprouts are cooling, prepare the cheese sauce by placing cashews in a microwave safe container. Cover the nuts in water and microwave for 3 minutes. You can also soak them in hot water for 2 - 3 hours if you do not have a microwave. Drain and add the cashews and remaining ingredients EXCEPT THE MILK, and just 1 of the 2 teaspoons of mustard, to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until the mixture is completely liquified.
Transfer cheese mixture to a medium sized pot. Heat on medium heat, whisking continuously until the sauce begins to thicken. This takes a few minutes. You want it to be the consistency of a thin pudding. Pour half of the cheese sauce into a medium sized bowl, and leave the rest in the pot (you will reheat it to make a dipping sauce). Allow the sauce to cool.
Toss the cooled brussels in the 2/3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. You just want to coat them in the four. Pour the panko and garlic powder into a shallow dish and stir. To coat the sprouts, dip them first into the cooled cheese sauce that you set aside in a bowl, making sure they are completely coated. Next dip the sprouts into the panko, again making sure they are evenly coated. Place the coated sprouts on a plate.
Fill a medium size pot about half way full with oil, deep enough to cover the Brussels sprouts. Heat the oil over medium hight heat until it is good and hot. You can poke a chopstick into the oil and if tiny bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Place a wire cooling rack on a paper towel lined cookie sheet on the counter near the pot. This will be used to place the finished sprouts to cool.
Fry a few Brussels spouts at a time just until they are golden brown. This only takes a minute or two. Place finish sprouts on the wire rack to cool.
Once all the sprouts are done frying, add 1/2 cup of plant milk and 1 teaspoon of mustard to the pot with the leftover cheese sauce. Whisk and reheat. You can add a splash of lemon juice to the sauce as well for some extra zip, if you like.
Serve Brussels spouts right away with the gorgonzola dip on the side.
