We love the deep, rich flavors we get by roasting Brussels sprouts—and the fact that high temperatures tame their bitter compounds—but it can leave them feeling heavy.

To keep our sprouts tasting fresh and bright—without sacrificing the depth of roasting—we had to rethink how and when we seasoned them. Normally, we do it at the start. But anything we added burned before the sprouts were properly charred.

Since that wasn't working, we reversed it—tossing the cooked sprouts as soon as they came out of the oven with a flavorful mix of ground almonds, lemon grass, and lemon juice and zest—a combination inspired by a similar dish we'd enjoyed at Angus An's Maenam Restaurant in Vancouver.

To balance that brightness, we wanted some garlic. But it too would burn if added prior to roasting. Instead, we thinly sliced 20 cloves of garlic, then fried them in oil to create savory-sweet chips we sprinkled over the finished dish.

The flavor was mellow and the added crunch was a nice contrast. As a bonus, this process created a delicious garlic-infused oil that we used that to toss the Brussels sprouts in before roasting, an easy way to add another layer of flavor.