Brussels Sprouts

[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...

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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.

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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!

[pennylane]

Just wanted to say that I tried frozen brussels sprouts for the first time yesterday, and yeah - amazing!

Thanks!

[Soupcon]

Gross is this veg. My mother cooked them to death and to date at least a century or more later (according to my kids) I still can't stand the thought never mind the smell of them. Pure torture it was when I was a kid sitting at the table until at least midnight because we had to eat everything on our plate and we were not allowed to "get down" from the table until the plate was empty. Yuck Yuck Yuck. Ugh. Bleh.

[dockhl]

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.

Made these for dinner yesterday. Wow, really good !

[NancyH]

The timing of this thread was most fortuitous! I have been itching to try Iron Chef Michael Symon's recipe (as posted on his blog, Symon Says) for Brussels Sprouts. As I documented more fully on my blog today, we lucked into on-the-stalk sprouts on Saturday at the local supermarket:

The recipe is as follows (cut and pasted from the above linked blog):

Brussels Sprouts

* 1# brussel sprouts quartered and blanched

* 1/4 # lg dice smoked bacon

* 1 clove garlic minced

* 1 shallot minced

* 1/2 cup pecans chopped

* 2 tbl grain mustard

* 4 oz chicken stock

* 1 lemon juiced

* 2 tbl butter

* 1 tbl chopped flatleaf parsley

heat half butter over medium heat and caramelize sprouts for 3 minutes and set aside..in separate pan crisp bacon for 3 minutes and add pecans, garlic and shallots and continue to cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Deglaze pan with stock and lemon juice and whisk in butter, mustard and parsley. Toss in cooked sprouts and serve.

Our monster yielded 3# of sprouts; fortunately, we had purchased a pound of bacon. I also added some salt & pepper to each phase of the recipe, as well as a ripe Jalapeno pepper (which wasn't really enough for 3#). We substituted onion for shallot, and curly parsley from the garden for flat. Here is how it came out:

We served it with a beautiful Chili-Paste Rubbed leg of lamb:

I have additional photos and story on my blog!

[santo_grace]

Once I discovered roasting them a few years ago, I can't wait until they come into season. So, I agree with the comments about roasting them with all sorts of combinations of ingredients - bacon, duck fat, onions, walnuts, pecans, etc.

Also, like to thinly shred them, saute them with whatever I have on hand (again, bacon, duck fat, olive oil), once they start to get a little soft throw in some cream and reduce slightly. Mix in with pasta and some good parm or whatever cheese you like. I'll often throw in some pine nuts to contribute to the nuttiness. A simple meal that always looks nice with the contrast of the pasta and the green from the sprouts.

[tammylc]

And now for something a little different...

1 LB sprouts, cleaned and cut in half.

1/2 cup water

1 T oil

2 T sesame seeds

3 T tamari

2 T sugar

Boil sprouts in water for 3-4 minutes. Drain. Heat oil and sesame seeds

until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes. Add all remaining ingredients,

and toss all with sprouts. Serve hot (or cold).

These are really, really good. As I was cutting up 2 lbs of sprouts for Christmas dinner I was wondering if I really needed that many, but they all got eaten, and I was sad I couldn't get seconds.

[kiliki]

I made this Brussel sprout salad recipe from Saveur for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit--it was fantastic. It's raw, shaved sprouts, which I'd never done (I also don't have a mandoline, but a knife worked fine), with pecorino, toasted walnuts, and a lemon/olive oil dressing. Be sure its well seasoned with salt and pepper.

http://saveur.com/article/Food/Brussels-Sprouts-Salad

Edited November 29, 2008 by kiliki (log)

[merstar]

Halved, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Roasted cut side down at 400 F for about 20 minutes.

[LizD518]

I made a version of a method suggeested up-thread for Thanksgiving. The original was bacon drippings as the fat, add cider vinegar and maple syrup and roast them in the oven. I used balsamic vinegar instead, and added parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes and shallots for more of a roasted winter veg dish. Awesome!

[Darienne]

Just saw this thread for the first time...

We actually had Brussels Sprouts for lunch. Life without them...aarrrgghhh I cannot imagine.

My favorite dish is simply boiled Sprouts mixed with boiled sweet potatoes, topped with Olive oil and Lemon juice dressing complete with chopped garlic and sesame seeds. My DH always tops his with a curry sauce of some kind or other, usually with peanuts in it.

I once thanked my Mother for introducing me to Brussels Sprouts when I was young. She said...You never ate them in MY house. Poor Mother.

[Lisa Shock]

I like to tempura them, but be forewarned, you must cut them in half or quarters first or they will shoot like bullets out of the hot oil, in random directions. -No exaggeration here. The first time I tried this, I had company over for dinner. Let's just say that my guests witnessed one of the most exciting meal preparation events ever!

I also like to saute them (salted) in butter. When they are almost done, I add a little more butter and some diced red onion (and possible mushrooms) then cook til just transparent. Then, I deglaze the pan with a dash of water, and add a dollop of sour cream for a simple but tasty sauce. This makes a good meal when served over pasta.I use egg noodles.

[Libra20]

I haven't tried this recipe, yet, but it sounds quite good.

Brussel Sprout and Camembert Gratin in Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

● 1 small butternut squash (approximately 550 grams)

● 210 grams brussel sprouts

● 30 grams butter

● 100 ml. cream

● 4 slim slices camembert cheese

● Sea salt

● Freshly cracked black pepper

● Freshly grated nutmeg

● Fresh marjoram (for garnish)

Directions:

- Melt butter in a saucepan, and then toss in brussel sprouts. Gently fry until sprouts have browned in spots.

- Add cream to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate some nutmeg on top, stir, and cover for a couple of minutes. Once sprouts have softened a bit, remove from heat and set aside.

- Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy parts.

- Place squash halves on a baking sheet. Fill the squash hollows with brussel sprout mixture, grate a little more nutmeg on top, and top with 1 slice camembert each. Wrap each squash in foil and place baking sheet in a 190C oven. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until squash is soft.

- Once squash is soft, remove foil. The cheese would have melted into the sprouts at this point. Turn on the broiler. Place another slice of camembert on each squash half and place under the broiler until brown and bubbly.

- Garnish with marjoram leaves.

[Lonnj]

I LOVE these little buggers. Blanching, roasting, etc. all produce good results, but I'm too impatient and lazy. Here's what I do: clean and slice them into 1/4" slices. Sautée in butter (lots and lots) over medium high to high heat until they just start to get a little brown on them. Usually I just leave it at that, but for Thanksgiving this year, I fancied them up a bit.

First sautéed some hedgehog mushrooms that I found in the woods (chanterelles, criminis or even regular white button mushrooms would also work) and reserved them. Then into the pan went a lot of butter (for four cups-ish of unsliced sprouts) I used almost a stick of butter. Let the butter melt, and get good and hot (but not burning). This is in a cast iron skillet by the way. Then I dumped in the sprouts and sautéed them as above, until they picked up a good amount of color. Into the serving bowl & mixed with the hedgehogs. Then, and here's the key, I added about two tablespoons of white truffle oil. I have family who won't eat salad because it's green. They usually wouldn't go into the same room as a vegetable. My cousin who, as a child, was "allergic" to green food, took home the leftovers.

[ruthcooks]

My favorite: cook brussels sprouts by any method. Mix a few T each of sugar and white vinegar to a bit of the cooking water (AFTER cooking) and heat. Mix sprouts and dressing with canned, drained mandarin oranges and toasted walnut pieces for a warm vegetable salad. Heat leftovers slightly, and I add walnuts individually to each serving if I'm the only one eating this--the walnuts will get soggy. Don't stir too much, as the oranges will break up.

Sorry I don't have amounts--lost the recipe so have to wing it.

Edited November 30, 2008 by ruthcooks (log)

[isomer]

When I was a kid, I despised brussels sprouts. In an effort to "grow up", I asked restorer how to make them. This is based on what he told me, and OMG do I love them now!

Preheat a skillet to med-high.

Trim outer leaves of brussels sprouts, and cut in half. Toss lightly with oil, salt and pepper.

Add some oil to the skillet, and get it nice and hot, then put all the sprouts in, cut side down. Pour in 1/4 cup water, and cover the skillet.

After about 5 minutes, the sprouts should be perfectly steamed, and beautifully carmelized on the bottoms. If there is still water in the pan (unlikely), boil it off now. Finish with some butter, and a chiffonade of fresh herbs (I like basil best). I often drizzle them with white-wine vinegar before serving too.

-anthony

[Shel_B]

Roasted with S&P, just like the infamous Egullet roasted cauliflower.

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Why is the eGullet roasted cailiflower infamous? Or did you mean famous?