Culinary SOS: Firefly Bistro’s sautéed Brussels sprouts

Dear SOS: My boyfriend and I had the most amazing meal at Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena. Everything was absolutely delicious, but my favorite dish was the Brussels sprouts with a tomato relish and smoked paprika cream ... soooo yummy. Would love to have the recipe!

Michelle Elowe

Pasadena

Dear Michelle: Firefly Bistro was happy to share its sautéed Brussels sprouts recipe with us, which we’ve adapted below. Enjoy!

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Note: Adapted from Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena.

Smoked paprika crème

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Milk, if needed

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, paprika and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Thin with milk, if desired, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished crème should have a sauce-like consistency.

Brussels sprouts and assembly

1 tomato

4 baguette slices

Olive oil

Salt

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 1/2 cups trimmed and quartered Brussels sprouts

3 scallions, cut crosswise on the bias into 1-inch pieces

Salt

Smoked paprika crème

1. Char the tomato: Heat a grill pan or grill over medium-high heat until hot. Add the tomato and sear, charring until all sides are blackened and blistered. Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle, then crush. Meanwhile, brush the baguette slices with a little olive oil and season with a little salt. Grill the slices until lightly toasted on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and swirl the pan to melt the butter. Add the Brussels sprouts with one-fourth teaspoon salt, and saute until the sprouts are lightly colored, about 4 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan frequently.

3. Add an additional tablespoon of butter and continue to cook until the Brussels sprouts are golden-brown, about 3 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan frequently.

4. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and an additional one-eighth teaspoon of salt and toss to coat. Toss in the scallions and cook for about 30 seconds, shaking the pan, to marry the flavors. Stir in the crushed tomato. The Brussels sprouts should be a rich golden to deep brown on all sides and should not be soupy from the tomato; if the tomato is a bit thin, continue to cook for a minute or two until it thickens. Remove from heat.

5. To serve, divide the baguette slices between 2 plates. Spoon over the Brussels sprouts and drizzle over the paprika crème. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 426 calories; 6 grams protein; 25 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 35 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 94 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 507 mg sodium.