“Our Brussels Sprout Salad evolved from my mama’s garden,” Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale’s Executive Chef Todd Ruiz said of the beginnings of this festive salad. “I never knew at the time what a Brussels sprout was! Mainly what was a interesting fun way to incorporate it right out of her garden for all the family to enjoy. I had plenty of cousins that just would not eat them!”
“We dove right in and took on the challenge. We developed a Brussels sprout salad that was reminiscent of a coleslaw. We incorporated Texas pecans and dried cranberries, which to this day are a few of my favorite ingredients. Our final product of sweet and savory along with some crunch from local pecans is made in my household and family gatherings to this day!”
For more holiday recipes, check out Perfecting Pie, the Omni Cookie Collection and 12 Holiday Cocktails.
Brussels Sprout and Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
3 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup pecans
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 cup scallions
1 tsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
Steps
1. Toast pecans slightly and set aside.
2. Take all Brussels sprouts and cut off the bottom end piece, then separate all leaves. The leaves will separate pretty naturally at this point. Separate the Brussel all the way down to core. This will give you a varied look of large leaves to very small.
3. Place all leaves in boiling salted water for 5 seconds and then cool down in ice water. Leaving them barely cooked.
4. Combine the mixture of lemon juice, zest, oil, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and honey.
5. Finally mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Enjoy!
For more #OmniFeast recipes, click here.
One of the newest additions to the Omni New Haven culinary team, Executive Chef Todd Ruiz previously worked on the sunny beaches of Omni Amelia Island Resort. Working also at the boutique Texas based company, Hotel ZaZa, Chef Ruiz wanted to explore new opportunities and continue the never-ending learning process of being a culinarian. He had maintained a long career with the Hershey Hotel in Pennsylvania and the Four Seasons Hotels in Houston and Austin, Texas and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Educating himself in the North Eastern food that befits the area, Chef Ruiz also prides himself on learning about, and incorporating, local ingredients into his dishes. Chef Todd now joins the Omni New Haven team, ready to discover all things delicious in this incredible Elm City atmosphere.
