Brussels Sprouts

[ludja]

I made my first Thanksgiving in France this year, and I used this recipe for Brussels sprouts.  I like them anyway, but these were some of the best I've ever made.

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I've been making a recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables that is similar to this but a bit simpler even. Thinly slice sprouts and saute in some butter/olive oil (I use a mix.) for a few minutes. Add about a quarter inch of chicken stock to the pan and cook a bit more until tender. Season with salt, pepper and some fresh herbs (I use thyme) and add a little lemon juice. You wind up with an emulsified sauce that coats the sprouts. Very tasty and quick. In this prep I like the sprouts to retain a little bit of firmness.

The recipe with the shallots sounds very good as well.

[pennylane]

These are my two favourites :

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (the key is to get them really black, blacker than in the photo), and

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Scallions (the key is the lime juice).

[Anna N]

Curiously Chef Michel Richard advocates the use of frozen Brussels sprouts.

"Merci, Monsieur Green Giant. You have introduced me to the possibilities of beautiful fresh Brussels sprouts. Freezing breaks down the fibers so that they need relatively less time to cook, and the result is good-looking, soft sprouts. Never again will the choice be undercooked and green or overcooked and insipid looking."

page 109 Happy in the Kitchen.

I recall someone else making the same observation years ago and I tried the frozen ones and they truly were a revelation.

[pennylane]

I recall someone else making the same observation years ago and I tried the frozen ones and they truly were a revelation.

Oh really? That's interesting. I think I will give them a try myself.

[kbjesq]

I recall someone else making the same observation years ago and I tried the frozen ones and they truly were a revelation.

Oh really? That's interesting. I think I will give them a try myself.

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I find the key to using frozen brussels sprouts is to let them thaw slowly. I usually let them thaw in the fridge. The consistency, when thawed, is almost the same as the blanched-until-half-done sprouts, and they have no bitterness.

When I lived in the North, we would leave them in the garden in the winter, and then traipse through the snow to break off a branch when needed. It was like a giant outdoor freezer.

[Stewart H]

I find the key to using frozen brussels sprouts is to let them thaw slowly.  I usually let them thaw in the fridge.  The consistency, when thawed, is almost the same as the blanched-until-half-done sprouts, and they have no bitterness.

Hmm, that's interesting... I wonder if that has anything to do with the oft-heard saying of sprouts tasting better after a frost...

[mzrb]

I find the key to using frozen brussels sprouts is to let them thaw slowly.  I usually let them thaw in the fridge.  The consistency, when thawed, is almost the same as the blanched-until-half-done sprouts, and they have no bitterness.

Hmm, that's interesting... I wonder if that has anything to do with the oft-heard saying of sprouts tasting better after a frost...

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Perhaps, but the important part of the Richard's recipe was left out! Put the frozen brussels sprouts into a saucepan, cover them halfway or so with chicken stock and throw in a generous knob of butter. Bring up to a boil, then simmer, covered. When stock has just about evaporated, remove the lid and glaze the brussels with the remaining liquid.

They turn into buttery, soft, delectable sprouts of love. And about the easiest way to cook vegetables ever.

[Alex]

Here is one I came across last week at Fearing's in Dallas. Pull off the leaves and wilt them. Use as a base for sauteed scallops (with your choice of sauce if you wish). This preparation bought out the flavor of the brussel sprouts and provided a texture contrast with the scallops.

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Yes, this is excellent. I had a similar dish for lunch several years ago at Spiaggia in Chicago. They used sea bass and a very light fish or shellfish broth. Butter may have been involved.

[Alex]

Little Green Balls of Death at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

"So Mike, what's with the sign next to your Brussels sprouts?"

"Well, Christ, if you've ever tasted Brussels sprouts you'd understand why I put the sign there. They're a degradation to vegetables, Brussels sprouts are."

"Do they sell?"

"Well, to people who don't like their neighbors or something. I don't know."

[Lindacakes]

I love brussel sprouts, one of my favorite vegetables. Butter is a key ingredient.

I like to separate the leaves, and saute in butter with roasted walnut pieces.

Tasty.

[Megan Blocker]

Bacon, duck fat, schmaltz - any kind of animal fat - makes the sprouts delightfully nutty. I like to roast a double helping and use the leftovers in pasta the next day with a bit of red onion, bacon, and creme fraiche.

[Peter B Wolf]

Only " Fresh " ones for me .

Remove only 'blemished' outer leaves !

Bring large amount salted water to rapid boil, toss Sprouts and checking often for 'al Dente', drain quickly.

DO NOT SHOCK IN ICE WATER !!

Instead place onto a paper towel covered flat pan with crushed ice. Turning them once in a while will cool them quickly, and will reatin fabulous green color.

This can be done at any time before the meal, even a day ahead.

When ready to serve, heat a pan large enough to NOT double up the Sprouts, place a decent amount Goose, Duck or Chicken fat (clarified Butter will do) (*) into pan bring to almost smoking point, add Sprouts, ( these will have gotten fairly well heated in the MicroWave ) shaking pan constantly, as to slightly brown these morsels, a few strokes of freshly grated Nutmeg over them will create a little sparkling fireworks increasing the 'nutty' flavor.

Enjoy.

(*) rendered fat from double smoked Bacon is also very good.

[mizducky]

Curiously Chef Michel Richard advocates the use of frozen Brussels sprouts.

"Merci, Monsieur Green Giant.  You have introduced me to the possibilities of beautiful fresh Brussels sprouts.  Freezing breaks down the fibers so that they need relatively less time to cook, and the result is good-looking, soft sprouts.  Never again will the choice be undercooked and green or overcooked and insipid looking."

page 109 Happy in the Kitchen.

I recall someone else making the same observation years ago and I tried the frozen ones and they truly were a revelation.

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Yep, brussels sprouts are on my short list of frozen vegetables that not only are acceptable substitutes for, but might in some ways be improvements upon, their fresh counterparts. (Frozen spinach is another, if only because there's no sinkfuls of muddy water or shrinkage to one bazillionth of original volume to mess with.) In the case of brussels sprouts, I do prefer the texture of the fresh ones--especially for my maple/mustard vinaigrette recipe--but the frozen ones are quite nice too for a quick no-fuss no-muss veg. I've been known to heat some up for a late-night snack.

[shaw10805]

blanch and shock them, saute with bacon lardons and onions. deglaze with apple cider reduction

[Allura]

Another vote for sprouts with pancetta. My BIL made this for Thanksgiving, sauteeing them, I believe. I had never had them before, and DH swore he didn't like them, but we both couldn't get enough.

[ratgirlny]

My sister and I used to fight over the brussels sprouts when we were kids, that is how much we loved them. I prefer mine slathered in butter, and cooked long enough so they are NOT al dente. Cooked with bacon and a little balsamic vinegar comes a close second. My 7 year old likes his drenched with balsamic vinegar.

[The Naughti Literati]

This thread is making me craaave some brussel sprouts! They have been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. Great pics on the first page.

I recently saw a recipe for brussel sprouts with cheese but I can't remember what kind of cheese or where I saw the recipe.

Any suggestions?

[plafield]

This thread is making me craaave some brussel sprouts! They have been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. Great pics on the first page.

I recently saw a recipe for brussel sprouts with cheese but I can't remember what kind of cheese or where I saw the recipe.

Any suggestions?

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My favorite way to eat brussel sprouts: Halve the sprouts, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast in one layer in a baking dish in a 450 degree oven, stirring every 10 minutes until caramelized and almost tender (25-35 minutes.) Turn oven down to 350 and pour 1/2 inch of heavy cream over and bake 15-20 minutes, until cream reduces and browns. Spinkle top w/ fresh grated Parmesan cheese mixed with fresh bread crumbs and bake until top is golden (5-10 more minutes.) Yum! Sometimes I mix thick slices of Vidalia onion and cauliflower florets in with the sprouts. The caramelized veggies, cream and cheese flavors are fantastic.

[Pephemie]

I had a warm brussel sprout salad with torpedo onions, bacon, and some sort of balsamic vinaigrette that was pretty good.

But my favorite is just pan roasted with a little salt and pepper, and topped with butter at the end.

[sara]

Here in Madison even the local grocery store sells them on the stalk -- it's wonderful since they keep longer and you just cut what you need for a given meal.

I'm a huge fan of the Best Recipe way of doing sprouts-- braise them in a little water for 10-15 minutes, then remove them and add some butter to the pan, then whisk in some dijon mustard, add the sprouts back in and stir. Simple and yummy!

What everyone else said. Bacon is wonderful, of course. If you're blanching, just blanch; don't overcook them. (I think our moms went to vegetable cooking class together.) Ignore any cookbook instructions about cutting an "X" in the stem end before blanching. Dill also goes well with Brussels sprouts.

If you're in the vicinity of a farmers' market, try to locate sprouts still on the stalk.

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[The Naughti Literati]

This thread is making me craaave some brussel sprouts! They have been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. Great pics on the first page.

I recently saw a recipe for brussel sprouts with cheese but I can't remember what kind of cheese or where I saw the recipe.

Any suggestions?

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My favorite way to eat brussel sprouts: Halve the sprouts, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast in one layer in a baking dish in a 450 degree oven, stirring every 10 minutes until caramelized and almost tender (25-35 minutes.) Turn oven down to 350 and pour 1/2 inch of heavy cream over and bake 15-20 minutes, until cream reduces and browns. Spinkle top w/ fresh grated Parmesan cheese mixed with fresh bread crumbs and bake until top is golden (5-10 more minutes.) Yum! Sometimes I mix thick slices of Vidalia onion and cauliflower florets in with the sprouts. The caramelized veggies, cream and cheese flavors are fantastic.

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Wow, thank you so much. That sounds like EXACTLY what I want.

And I forgot all about my Culinary Artistry book, which lists the following items that go well with brussel sprouts (many of which have been posted, including the ingredients in your recipe)!

Almonds

Anchovies

Apples

Bacon

Bread crumbs

Butter

Carrots

Cheese (e.g., Parmesan, Swiss, Taleggio)

Chestnuts

Cream

Duck fat

Eggs, hard-boiled

Garlic

Grapefruit

Ham

Hollandaise sauce

Lemon

Mushrooms

Mustard

Nutmeg

Onions

Pancetta

Parsley

Pepper, black

Peppers, sweet

Pignoli

Rosemary

Salt

Thyme

Veal gravy

Vinegar

Walnuts

Methods: bake, boil, braise, parboil, saute, steam

I *love* this book! I was reminded to flip through it again when I raved about their most recent, What to Drink With What You Eat, in the Food Literature forum.

Edited December 18, 2007 by The Naughti Literati (log)

[heidih]

whisk in some dijon mustard, add the sprouts back in and stir. Simple and yummy!

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I agree that mustard definitelty loves those cabbage vegetables.

[Pat Churchill]

I remember reading somewhere, "Leaving home means you never have to eat Brussels sprouts again".

But this recipe I came up with a couple of years ago isn't too bad at all.

Gingered Sprouts

12-16 Brussels sprouts

a generous chunk of root ginger

1/2 red capsicum

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

water

salt and freshly milled pepper

Peel off any discoloured leaves from the sprouts. Using a sharp-pointed vegetable knife, remove the cores and tear each sprout apart into individual leaves. This can be done quite roughly and is less labour-intensive than peeling off individual layers.

Using a fine grater - a Microplane works like a charm - shave off about a 2.5cm quantity from the chunk of ginger. Dice the capsicum very finely. Heat the butter and oil in a frypan or wok and stir-fry the grated ginger and capsicum for about a minute. Add the sprout leaves and toss for another minute then add about two tablespoons of water and continue turning till the sprouts are just cooked but still green and crunchy. Season and serve immediately. You can sprinkle in a few fennel seeds at the end if you fancy.

[Qwerty]

I find the key to using frozen brussels sprouts is to let them thaw slowly.  I usually let them thaw in the fridge.  The consistency, when thawed, is almost the same as the blanched-until-half-done sprouts, and they have no bitterness.

Hmm, that's interesting... I wonder if that has anything to do with the oft-heard saying of sprouts tasting better after a frost...

←

Perhaps, but the important part of the Richard's recipe was left out! Put the frozen brussels sprouts into a saucepan, cover them halfway or so with chicken stock and throw in a generous knob of butter. Bring up to a boil, then simmer, covered. When stock has just about evaporated, remove the lid and glaze the brussels with the remaining liquid.

They turn into buttery, soft, delectable sprouts of love. And about the easiest way to cook vegetables ever.

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How does the liquid evaporate if the pan is covered?

I prefer to forego the blanching and just simply roast them...why blanch? It takes extra time and doesn't add any flavor.

I say, tear off any wilting or dingy outside leaves, cut them in half, then place cut side down in a hot pan with a thin sheen of oil. Place in an oven for about 10 minutes (or until tender but not mushy) and then place them back on a burner and get nice color. Finish with a knob of whole butter and some fresh herbs--I like thyme. Of course season with salt, add some bacon or panchetta, and you are good to go.

[bushey]

Here's a simple salad that's delicious:

Shred or thinly slice brussel sprouts and toss with lemon juice (about half a lemon's worth) and salt and pepper. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes, then toss with some good extra-virgin olive oil and grated hard cheese (manchego, parmesan or romano work well). Add a couple of handfuls of toasted walnuts or pecans. Voila!