Buttery Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Thanksgiving week. The menu is locked. James and I made the turkey plan two weeks ago and have been buying ingredients piecemeal since. The turkey gets the fish-sauce-and-lemongrass-and-garlic injection — eighteen ounces of marinade pumped into a fifteen-pound bird forty-eight hours in advance, then the dry rub of brown sugar, salt, white pepper, and five-spice powder, then twelve hours on the smoker over post oak with apple wood for sweetness. The skin gets glazed in the last hour with a hoisin-fish-sauce reduction. This is not a turkey that anyone's grandmother would recognize. It is also the best turkey anyone in this family has ever eaten.

Thirty-two people coming. Mai's house cannot hold thirty-two people, so Thanksgiving has officially migrated to my house. Mai was sad about this for about ten minutes Wednesday afternoon, then she said, "It's time." I said, "I'll bring you the leftover stock." She said, "All of it." Mai understands that Thanksgiving turkey stock is the best stock of the year, and she expects her share. I will deliver.

The guest list: Mai. Linh, Richard, Mei (and Camila, who Mei brought down for the four-day weekend), David. Tyler, Jessica, Marcus, Jade. Emma, Daniel, Ava. Lily, James. Grace Okafor in from Chicago. Bill (my old AA sponsor) and his wife Helen. Kevin (sourdough Kevin) and his fiancée Trang. Thanh (the young Vietnamese chef I sponsor). The Hernándezes from down the street. Mr. Washington and his wife Marlene. The new Vietnamese family from across the street (Phuc and Lan and their two kids). Charlie up from Galveston with his son. Plus a few overflow seats kept open in case anyone needed to drop by.

Tuesday I started the cooking. Pre-prep: the marinade, the spring roll filling, the broth for the side soup, the prep for the cornbread (yes, cornbread — Mai's side concession, even though she calls it "yellow bread"), the shopping for fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. The kitchen smelled like a restaurant. The freezer was full. The refrigerator was overstuffed. Sleep is going to be optional from Wednesday through Saturday. This is the week I prepare for all year. This is also the week that confirms I am no longer young, because forty-eight hours of cooking used to feel like a sport and now feels like an Olympic event.

With thirty-two people coming and a fifteen-pound smoked turkey already commanding every bit of my attention from Wednesday through Thursday afternoon, I needed a vegetable side that could run on autopilot — something that didn’t require a second brain to execute while I was monitoring smoker temps and glazing the bird. Buttery carrots and Brussels sprouts have been the quiet workhorse of this Thanksgiving for three years running now, and they earn their place every single time: simple enough that Thanh could take the lead on them while I pulled the turkey, crowd-friendly enough that even the kids from across the street went back for seconds. When the table is this full and the room is this loud, you want at least one dish that just works.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch coins
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Blanch the vegetables. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes, then add the Brussels sprouts and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until both are just tender but still hold their shape. Drain and set aside.
Build the butter base. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until it begins to foam. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute until fragrant — do not let it brown.
Saute the vegetables. Add the drained carrots and Brussels sprouts to the skillet. Toss to coat in the butter and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through and beginning to caramelize lightly at the edges.
Finish and season. Remove from heat. Drizzle with lemon juice and scatter the fresh thyme over the top. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Toss once more to combine.
Serve. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately alongside your main course.

Nutrition (per serving)

Buttery Carrots and Brussels Sprouts — The Side Dish That Feeds Thirty-Two Without an Argument