Brussels Sprouts

[Shel_B]

how about separating all of the leaves and sauteeing them in a pan with some olive oil, butter, and s & p? 

Lidia Bastianich has a recipe in which she separates the leaves and then cooks them with oilve oil, garlic, sea or kosher salt, some red chile flakes and a little red wine vinegar. The results were quite good.

[Toliver]

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?

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"Roasted Cauliflower, Tastes like French Fries"

Sixteen pages and counting...

[edwardsboi]

What do you look for when you buy brussels sprouts? I went to the farmer's market, and theirs were all dried out on the bottom and woody. Is that normal, or should you be looking at something else to determine freshness?

[merstar]

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH DIJON, WALNUTS & CRISP CRUMBS

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/recipes...llection=102750

MICHAEL SYMON'S HOLIDAY BRUSSELS SPROUTS

http://blog.cleveland.com/lifestyles/2007/...e_from_the.html

Edited December 18, 2008 by merstar (log)

[foodrambler]

Try this Nigella Lawson recipe - I made them last year and am doing them again this year. Yum.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta, Marsala, Chestnuts and Parsley

INGREDIENTS

• 10 cups/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts

• 8 oz. pancetta, rind removed, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (to give 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 cups/8 oz. vacuum packed chestnuts

• 2 tablespoon butter

• 1/4 Marsala

• 1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped to give about 1 cup

DIRECTIONS

Trim the bottoms off each of the brussel sprouts, cutting a cross into them as you go. Then tip them into a large pan of salted boiling water and cook until tender but still retaining a bit of bite, about 5 minutes or so depending on size. Spoon one out of the water to test (without burning your tongue and thus ruining the whole lunch for yourself) whether they are cooked to be sure.

Meanwhile, in a pan large enough to take everything later (or just drain the sprouts and use their pan, once you’ve drained them), cook the pancetta cubes in the oil, with the rind for more salty fat rendering, until they’re bronzed and crisp, but not cooked to the point of having dried out.

Add the butter and the chestnuts and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, press on the chestnuts to break them up a bit. When they’re warmed through, turn the heat up and throw in the Marsala, letting it bubble away, fusing with the pancetta fat and chestnutty butter to form a glorious savoury syrup. As the drained sprouts and turn well, sprinkling in half of the parsley as you do so. Give a good grinding of pepper; you shouldn’t need salt, given the pancetta, but obviously taste to see. Decant to a warmed serving plate and sprinkle over the remaining chopped parsley.

[CalumC]

Had a good sprout involving starter yesterday, Faggot made of rabbit offal, slice of black pudding and some sprout halves, seemed to have been either boiled/steamed then fried, or just fried. Very nice.

[CtznCane]

I fall into the group that hated brussel sprouts. Despised has also been used here and I would have to say my hatred was still greater. I was saved by the fact that I showed allergic reactions as a kid to raw cabbage (not cooked, an allergy that has since passed) so I got out of them. Since becoming an adult I've been committed to trying everything (almost) at least once but put off the dreaded brussel sprouts till about 7 years ago. I bought fresh on the stalk sprouts, tried them, and they immediately went back to the top of I'll never try that again foods.

Well, then I wound up getting involved with a woman who is now my strife, er I mean wife, and she happens to love brussel sprouts. So several years ago I decided to give them one last try. They were okay. I think because I cooked them different. Now I've actually come to really like them. There are some ways talked about here I have to try that sound delicious.

The way I cook brussel sprouts that made them good for me is to first trim the end, do the x thing to the bottom and then steam them for about 12 minutes. Then I slice them in half and sautee them in butter, with pecans and then a bit of bourbon and finish them with maple syrup. The French have mirepoix, Louisiana has the trinity, but to me butter, bourbon, and maple syrup is the triumvirate that works for brussel sprouts and much more.

Now it is off to find some brussel sprouts to have with our Xmas dinner.

[Darienne]

  The way I cook brussel sprouts that made them good for me is to first trim the end, do the x thing to the bottom and then steam them for about 12 minutes.  Then I slice them in half and sautee them in butter, with pecans and then a bit of bourbon and finish them with maple syrup.  The French have mirepoix, Louisiana has the trinity, but to me butter, bourbon, and maple syrup is the triumvirate that works for brussel sprouts and much more.

  Now it is off to find some brussel sprouts to have with our Xmas dinner.

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That is too funny. My husband gets through Brussels Sprouts by drowning them in a curried peanut sauce. Could be little soft golf balls underneath for all he knows....

[slkinsey]

For one of my crazy multi-course Thanksgiving dinners, I used to do a full course of Brussels sprouts preparations. Here is "Brussels Sprouts Four Ways"

Clockwise from the upper right hand corner, there is: Sauteed with guanciale; gratineed with gruyere and bechamel; shaved raw and marinated in vinegar; and Brussels sprouts crème brûlée.

It was originally a whimsical "joke course" but proved to be very popular -- especially the Brussels sprouts crème brûlée.

[David Ross]

Here are the Brussels Sprouts I did at Thanksgiving-with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Chestnuts.

I'm not a big fan of chestnuts, but I had a package in the freezer that was waiting to be included in some sort of holiday dish so they got put into the Brussels Sprouts.

A lot of people turn up their noses at the thought of eating an entire Brussels Sprout, so I cut them lengthwise into strips like you would for coleslaw. The result is strips of the vegetable along with some bigger pieces. Texturally that is more appealing to some people and it cuts down on having a big mouthful of what some think is an acidic vegetable.

I start by frying up bacon bits in a saute pan and then drain it, reserving all of the bacon grease. I then reheat some of the bacon grease in the same pan and add the sprouts and cook for just a few minutes until they wilt. Then I'll slog in some apple cider vinegar, then add in some chopped chestnuts and the pre-cooked bacon bits. I might add a bit of chicken stock if the mixture looks too dry, then season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

This isn't going to be the stunning dish on the holiday table, but it's a fairly good take on Brussels Sprouts. Much better than boiling them whole and serving them plain like Mother used to do.

[MarketStEl]

Well, last night, after perusing the early posts on this thread again, I decided to try a variant on the basic roasted Brussels sprouts recipe.

I had bought some very young sprouts at the Reading Terminal Market the previous Saturday: there were almost no loose leaves to remove from these, and they were about half the size of the mature sprouts I usually see. So I just sliced off a little of the stem end and otherwise left them whole.

I then sauteed them in butter with crushed garlic, as philadining recommended, but did not remove the crushed garlic from the pan before drizzling Japanese mirin cooking seasoning over them. Then they went into the 400F oven for 10 minutes.

No bacon, but no matter -- they came out great, with a deep green hue, and IMO the mirin was just as effective a complement as the maple syrup would have been.

[Kim Shook]

We had them last night, cooked basically the way I usually do (taught to me by my English dad - Ted Fairhead). I lightly steamed them, cut them in half and sauteed. The only difference with last night's sprouts was that instead of butter, I used leftover bacon grease from some Benton's bacon that I had in the fridge. They were amazing!

BTW, Hi Sandy!! I haven't seen you on any of the threads that I frequent and it's really nice to 'run into' you!

[sparrowgrass]

I cut mine in half, steam til almost tender, then brown in butter or olive oil. I mix the cooked sprouts with about an equal amount of wild rice that I have cooked in chicken broth with celery and onions.

Something about that crunchy wild rice and the soft buttery sprouts--mmmmm.

[vice]

For one of my crazy multi-course Thanksgiving dinners, I used to do a full course of Brussels sprouts preparations.  Here is "Brussels Sprouts Four Ways"

Clockwise from the upper right hand corner, there is:  Sauteed with guanciale; gratineed with gruyere and bechamel; shaved raw and marinated in vinegar; and Brussels sprouts crème brûlée.

It was originally a whimsical "joke course" but proved to be very popular -- especially the Brussels sprouts crème brûlée.

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Well, Brussels sprouts' season is just about winding down, so I thought I'd try something different before the long wait for next fall. Yep, crème brûlée certainly qualifies as different.

Sam, how did you prepare your custard?

[Kim Shook]

Bumping this up to get some updated info, please!  I love Brussels Sprouts.  I like them steamed until almost done and then quick sauteed in butter in a very hot pan.  Jessica only likes them roasted - like every restaurant in the world is doing them now.  I like them like that, too, but seem to have a hard time getting the right results.  In trying to get a good char on them, mine usually end up too mushy.  Can y'all please help me by giving me VERY precise directions for ending up with crisp/tender, charred sprouts?  Thanks!!!

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

Bumping this up to get some updated info, please!  I love Brussels Sprouts.  I like them steamed until almost done and then quick sauteed in butter in a very hot pan.  Jessica only likes them roasted - like every restaurant in the world is doing them now.  I like them like that, too, but seem to have a hard time getting the right results.  In trying to get a good char on them, mine usually end up too mushy.  Can y'all please help me by giving me VERY precise directions for ending up with crisp/tender, charred sprouts?  Thanks!!!

 

I halve the raw sprouts...place face down in a oiled pan add some bacon fat ..cook till face is charred...then add a few tbsp water or broth or orange juice and cover for a minute or so to steam them. You’ll get a feel for how long is enough. Occasionally I overshoot. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by gfweb (log)

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

 

I halve the raw sprouts...place face down in a oiled pan add some bacon fat ..cook till face is charred...then add a few tbsp water or broth or orange juice and cover for a minute or so to steam them. You’ll get a feel for how long is enough. Occasionally I overshoot. 

 

Thanks so much!  I'm assuming that you are talking about doing in a pan on top of the stove.  Do you think I can do them in the oven (I'm doing a lot of them)?  If so, what temp?  I keep seeing 400F.  Does that sound right to you?

[gfweb]

3 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Thanks so much!  I'm assuming that you are talking about doing in a pan on top of the stove.  Do you think I can do them in the oven (I'm doing a lot of them)?  If so, what temp?  I keep seeing 400F.  Does that sound right to you?

Yes in a pan on the stove.

 

I’ve done whole sprouts in the oven at 400 and they Overcooked half the time. IIRC it was like 10 minutes. I’d do a few experiments if I did it again.  I think I’d put 5 oiled sprouts on a sheet pan and test them at 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 minutes or something like that. 

[gfweb]

@Kim Shook So I just did the experiment. But differently

 

400 f oven and a pre heated sheet pan

 

2 halved biggish sprouts and two whole sprouts. At 7 min the halved sprouts were nicely browned and at 185 f. At 9 min they were more browned and at 200 f. They were still just a little crunchy and real tasty and bright green.  Perfect. 

 

The whole sprouts got to 175 f at 9 min and had no browning and were undercooked   

 

So I’d do halved big sprouts , oiled, face down in a hot pan in 400 f oven for 9 min. Maybe use bacon fat next time....

 

 

[kayb]

There is a restaurant in Memphis, Catherine and Mary's, that does the best Brussels sprouts I have ever had In My Life. I wish to God I could recreate it.

 

1. Some of the sprouts are halved and sauteed.

2. Some of the sprouts are julienned and raw, or if cooked at all, barely blanched.

3. Some whole sprout leaves are deep fried and crunchy.

4. The whole thing is tossed with shredded burnt ends, and dressed in an oh-so-slightly-sweet, barbecue-y viniagrette.

 

I'm not sure but what it's the best thing on the menu. Their dishes are designed for sharing. I do not share the sprouts, and make it known to the table that if they want some, we need to order two orders.

 

 

[Kim Shook]

24 minutes ago, gfweb said:

@Kim Shook So I just did the experiment. But differently

 

400 f oven and a pre heated sheet pan

 

2 halved biggish sprouts and two whole sprouts. At 7 min the halved sprouts were nicely browned and at 185 f. At 9 min they were more browned and at 200 f. They were still just a little crunchy and real tasty and bright green.  Perfect. 

 

The whole sprouts got to 175 f at 9 min and had no browning and were undercooked   

 

So I’d do halved big sprouts , oiled, face down in a hot pan in 400 f oven for 9 min. Maybe use bacon fat next time....

 

 

How incredibly kind of you!!!!  Thank you so much - that is exactly how I'll do them tomorrow.  

[gfweb]

6 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

How incredibly kind of you!!!!  Thank you so much - that is exactly how I'll do them tomorrow.  

They needed salt. 🙂

 

 

[Kim Shook]

@gfweb - since you're up anyway (😊), one more question - I am basically copying your sous vide pork loin that you made 2/3/2019 for my in laws tomorrow night.  You say that the sauce is 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 chix stock.  Do you remember approximately how much of each?  Thank you, again!!!

[gfweb]

2 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

@gfweb - since you're up anyway (😊), one more question - I am basically copying your sous vide pork loin that you made 2/3/2019 for my in laws tomorrow night.  You say that the sauce is 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 chix stock.  Do you remember approximately how much of each?  Thank you, again!!!

That’s a tough one. I make it by feel, I’ve done it so often. 

 

1:1 is about right. With a tsp Dijon and some garlic minced in the sauce pan. And salt. Sometimes I sautée apple slices till they break down a little and add that. 

 

Id shoot for about a cup of sauce for 4 people so 1/2 cup each. I thicken with corn starch to get it so it coats a spoon but isn’t viscous. 

 

Apologies for the imprecision. I cook like a grandmother at times. 🙂

 

[gfweb]

You might add sage. I do sometimes.