From Bobby Flay to Michael Symon, there seems to be a newfound interest in Brussels sprouts, the elegant Mini-Me of the cabbage world. I’m a fan, too. It’s not just the flavor — which, when the little vegetable is cooked properly, is really very delicate. It’s also each head’s tiny take on perfection. If you cut one open and really look at its inner construction of leaves curling tightly against one another and the gentle green to creamy white color scheme, you realize a Brussels sprout is really a work of art.

At the most basic level of newfound decadence, chefs are deep-fat frying the little morsels, then simply serving with a pinch of kosher salt and either a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a drizzling of a freshly made vinaigrette. During the deep-fat phase, the sprouts blush a vivid green and achieve a golden glow around the edges.

Not inclined to use a deep fryer? Consider the approach long-time friend and talented chef Heather Hogensen takes in her own Bend-area kitchen:

“First I prep my Brussels sprouts by trimming and halving them. Then I chop raw bacon into small dice and cook it in a saute pan. Once browned, I remove it and wipe out most of the bacon grease with a paper towel, then saute a chopped shallot in the pan, along with the Brussels sprouts, cut sides down, until they’re caramelized (on the cut sides).

“If the sprouts are huge (that would be bigger than 1½ inches in diameter), I cover the pan with a lid after caramelization has occurred, to steam until tender. Then I add the bacon back to the skillet and drizzle on aged balsamic over the whole thing.

“That’s what I call the BBB: bacon, balsamic and Brussels!”

That lovely BB&B preparation would go amazingly well with a range of craft beers, from a toasty red ale to a hoppy IPA.

GoodLife Brewing’s Descender IPA, I think, would stand up to the balsamic accents, whereas Phat Matt’s red ale would complement the smoky tones in the bacon and the caramelization in the Brussels sprouts.

The thing to keep in mind when selecting Brussels sprouts recipes is that there needs to be the culinary equivalent of a “snap” to the dish.

Think about the two takes I’ve described so far. Both were finished with a contrasting bit of zing; either lemon juice, vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar.

Equally so, in the recipes that follow, the chefs injected brightness into their presentations through various methods: tossing the deep fried morsels in a caper-laced vinaigrette; sprinkling with pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of a pomegranate juice reduction; and finally, dried cranberries and a drizzling of a flavorful balsamic reduction.

— Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, cookbook author and artist. Contact: janrd@proaxis.com.