Butter binds toasted pine nuts with the sweetness of shallots, the bitterness of Brussels sprouts and the brightness of Meyer lemon. In other words, this is delicious and I can't stop making it. Its the perfect winter accompaniment to fried eggs or roast chicken. Pine nuts are a bit of a buzz word these days not only because of their amazing taste, but also because their prices have soared- largely due to the difficulty in extracting these tasty little seeds. Nestled deep inside all pine cones are edible seeds- most of them are too small to bother extracting though.
I have a friend who gathers his own pine nuts- but he tells me its a labor of love; the price you pay at the store is a bargain compared to the work involved in harvesting them. The harvesting process involves heating the cones to encourage them to relinquish the seeds- which are covered in an extremely hard shell. Then the shells are rolled or beaten to break free the delicate seed inside.
Pine nuts are an ancient food- a staple for Native Americans- who ground them into flour, as well as the Greeks and Romans who included them in their regular diet, as well as prescribed them as a sexual potency tonic. Pine nuts high protein and vitamin content give this idea validity. Higher in protein than any other nut or seed, pine nuts also provide large quantities of valuable vitamin E and D- two very needed vitamins in the average diet.
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 pound Brussels sprouts- washed and trimmed of any bad leaves and then sliced very thinly
1 shallot- minced
1 Meyer lemon- the zest sliced off and finely minced, the inside juiced- set aside.
4 tablespoons butter
sea salt and freshly coarse ground pepper
few tablespoons chopped parsley
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat- just until they release their sweet fragrance and are slightly browned. Pour the pine nuts into a bowl and set aside.
Add the butter to the pan- allow it to melt completely. Then add the minced shallot and cook five minutes or so. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook five minutes or so more- not stirring too often to allow the Brussels sprouts to brown slightly. But not so long that they lose their vibrant color.
Just before serving add the parsley, lemon juice (to taste- you might not need all of it), the zest, and, of course, the pine nuts.
