This dish is inspired by a Brussels sprouts plate I kept ordering at RT Rotisserie in San Francisco. Deeply roasted, aggressively garlicky, bright with lemon, and finished with crisp edges that almost shatter when you bite into them. I wanted to recreate that feeling at home without cheese or cream, letting heat, acidity, and umami do the heavy lifting instead.

The sprouts are halved and roasted cut-side down until the flat faces caramelise like a pan-seared vegetable, while the outer leaves turn frilly and crisp. A sharp garlic-lemon dressing built on mustard, soy or fish sauce, black pepper, and good oil coats the hot sprouts and slips into their layers. Toasted garlic crumbs add crunch where cheese usually would, keeping the dish bold, savoury, and satisfying without feeling heavy.

It’s simple, direct cooking. Hot metal, real browning, clean flavours. The kind of dish that rewards attention but doesn’t demand fuss.

This recipe is dairy-free and optimised for a microwave oven with convection and grill.

A quick note on the dairy-free part: I’m not lactose intolerant. I just genuinely dislike the flavour of milk and anything milk-based. No yogurt, no cream cheese, no cheese of any kind. It’s a preference and it’s why this recipe doesn’t call for any of it.

Equipment

  • Microwave oven with convection and grill
  • Metal baking tray (preferred), placed directly on turntable or on the low grill rack per your oven manual
  • Small pan or microwave-safe dish for the garlic crumbs
  • Mixing bowls, whisk or fork

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

Brussels Sprouts

  • 350 g Brussels sprouts
  • 2-3 tbsp oil (sunflower, groundnut, or olive)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½-1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper

Garlic Crumb Topping

  • 1 slice bread, crumbled (or about ½ cup breadcrumbs)
  • 1-2 tbsp oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Small pinch of salt

Zesty Garlic-Lemon Dressing

  • 3 tbsp oil (olive preferred, but any veg oil works)
  • 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp lemon zest (optional but highly recommended)
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard (Dijon, English, or yellow)
  • 1-2 tsp soy sauce or fish sauce
  • 1 small garlic clove, very finely minced or grated
  • ¼ tsp jaggery or sugar (optional)
  • ½-1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
  • Salt only if needed

Instructions

1. Prepare the Brussels Sprouts

Trim the dry stem end and remove any loose or damaged outer leaves. Cut each sprout lengthwise through the stem, top to bottom. Toss them in a bowl with the oil, salt, and black pepper, then arrange them on a metal baking tray, cut side down, in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the tray.

Keeping the cut side down matters. Direct contact with hot metal gives far better browning than hot air alone, and the convection airflow still cooks and crisps everything else.

2. Roast (Convection)

Preheat the oven to convection at 220°C. Place the tray on the turntable or on the low grill rack (whichever your oven recommends for convection). Roast for 15-20 minutes total, checking at 12 minutes. You’re looking for the flat side to be deep golden to dark brown, the outer leaves crisp and frilly, and the inside tender but not mushy.

If your oven supports switching modes mid-cook, switch to grill mode after the convection roast. Grill for 2-4 minutes, watching closely. You want extra char on the outer leaves without burning them. Skip this if your sprouts already look beautifully browned.

4. Make the Garlic Crumb Topping

Do this while the sprouts roast. On the stovetop, heat oil in a small pan, add the breadcrumbs, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook on low-medium heat, stirring, until the garlic is lightly golden and the crumbs are crisp and aromatic. Set aside.

If you’d rather use the oven, spread the crumbs, oil, and garlic in a thin layer in a microwave-safe dish and grill in short bursts of 1-2 minutes, stirring between rounds, until golden and fragrant.

5. Make the Dressing

In a bowl or jar, combine the lemon juice, mustard, soy or fish sauce, garlic, and sugar if using. Whisk it all together, then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking to lightly emulsify. Stir in the lemon zest and black pepper.

Taste and adjust. More lemon makes it brighter, more soy or fish sauce pushes the umami, and a tiny pinch of sugar rounds off any sharp edges. The texture should be glossy and spoon-coating, not creamy.

6. Assemble

Transfer the hot roasted sprouts to a large bowl and pour the dressing over them. Toss thoroughly, then move everything to a serving plate. Top generously with the garlic crumbs, and add chopped coriander or parsley if you like. A final squeeze of lemon just before serving doesn’t hurt either.

Serve immediately.

A Few Notes

Use a metal tray, not glass or ceramic, for the best browning. Don’t flip the sprouts during roasting, and don’t crowd the tray (use two if needed). This dish is best eaten right away; it loses its magic when reheated.

If you’re looking for a pairing, a cold lager or citrusy IPA works well. So does soda with lemon, or even plain dal-rice on the side (surprisingly good).

Some dishes stay with you across cities and years. This is my way of bringing one of them back to the table, exactly how I remember wanting it.