- This stir-fry is super-simple: Other than the brussels sprouts and chicken breasts, the ingredients list calls mostly for common pantry items.
- The sweet-savory sauce uses both tahini and toasted sesame oil for maximum sesame flavor.
- Each ingredient cooks quickly, which means you’ll have dinner on the table in around 35 minutes.
Blanching and stir-frying brussels sprouts is an easy and fast way to cook one of fall and winter’s tastiest vegetables. Here, cookbook author and Food Network host Molly Yeh pairs the sprouts with chunks of chicken breast and a garlicky sesame sauce made with honey, soy, and plenty of tahini. Serve over white rice for a quick and delicious dinner.
What does blanching do for the brussels sprouts?
Blanching vegetables is a great way to prep them for quick cooking and preserve their most brilliant color: The process both kickstarts the cooking and deactivates the enzymes that are responsible for browning (and eventually degrading the texture). To blanch, you’ll simply drop the brussels sprouts in salted boiling water for a short time — Yeh recommends about 30 seconds — then drain and set them aside. If blanching vegetables just before serving or storing, it’s recommended to transfer them to an ice bath to halt the cooking; this is optional here.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
- The base of the luscious sauce is tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, which is available in Middle Eastern groceries and most supermarkets.
- For the sauce, be sure to use toasted sesame oil, which is nutty and dark; the untoasted versions are more neutral and tend to be used as cooking oils rather than for flavoring.
