The One Ingredient Anthony Bourdain Added To Make Brussels Sprouts A Total Hit

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Brussels sprouts fall into love-or-hate territory for many folks, but either way, there's no denying that the late Anthony Bourdain made them taste good. It's hardly a secret anymore, as he shared the hit-maker recipe in his widely read cookbook, "Appetites: A Cookbook." But it's worth reminding the world of how one single ingredient — in the hands of an enthusiastic, no-nonsense chef — can make one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense veggies sing. In the case of Bourdain's Brussels sprouts, that ingredient is none other than bacon.  

Though Bourdain was indisputably a super-star celebrity chef, author, and TV host known for his ritualistic approach to getting to know cities through food — but he was also known for keeping things unpretentious. He's often quoted as saying that "Good food is very often, even most often, simple food," a statement from his memoir titled "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly." That mentality is on full display in his Brussels Sprouts With Bacon recipe, as it contains only seven ingredients — one of which is water, and two being basic salt and pepper. 

The core ingredients called for in Bourdain's recipe are everyday familiar ingredients: thick-cut bacon, fresh Brussels sprouts, lemon juice, and a touch of one of his secret ingredients for restaurant-quality vegetables: butter. Many chefs now pair Brussels sprouts and bacon — but Bourdain's approach stands out for first rendering the bacon fat in a skillet with water until it browns. Others have created their own twists on the dynamic bacon and Brussels sprouts duo, and you can certainly make your own version by tweaking existing recipes.

The smoky, savory, and crispy elements of thick-cut bacon make it a shoe-in for elevating veggie dishes — but it works especially well with Brussels sprouts. The sturdy little cruciferous balls serve as a robust counterpart to bacon, evidenced by Katharine Marsh's roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, caramelized onions and sage recipe. Her approach is a bit more detailed than Anthony Bourdain's; creating a rich flavor base using slowly caramelized onions, and then separately blanching the Brussels sprouts in salted water. Slab bacon gets rendered until crisp, with the fat saved for searing the sprouts cut-side down until crispy. The caramelized onions and chopped sage then get folded in before the entire skillet of earthy deliciousness receives finishing splashes of fresh lemon juice and olive oil, along with sea salt and chili flakes. 

For a one-and-done sheet pan version, Molly Pisula throws some serious syrupy sweetness into the mix in her maple bacon Brussels sprouts recipe that she shared with Tasting Table. Olive oil, garlic, and kosher salt help create a sweet and salty balance with vegetal tones. Apart from Tasting Table's team of talented recipe developers, Bourdain wasn't not the only celebrity chef dishing out ideas for you to try. David Chang from Momofuku suggests a spicy-tangy version of Brussels sprouts with bacon and kimchi purée, while Tom Colicchio from "Top Chef" goes herbaceous with bacon and thyme. There's also the beloved homestyle-cooking chef, Ina Garten, who approaches the dish by combining the Bruseels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and pancetta, which is basically an Italian cousin to bacon — sans the smoky flavor.