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Brussels Sprouts


shogun

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Those branches took some TIME! But I think it'll be well worth it :)

Next question: Blanch or no blanch? They're pretty small except for one or two, which I can cut. Going to be sauteeing them in bacon fat (and bacon).

Update: Sprouts were very good! Ended up having my original plan overruled in favor of doing a bacon preparation Jenn had at one point, but I got mine back by throwing in some white Balsamic vinegar (which was more or less how I was going to do them initially but without the bacon. On the other hand, what's not good with bacon?) for a light glaze. Between these and the sprouts we had at the Corduroy dinner with the venison, I don't see what the big anti-Brussel's sprout deal is!

ScotteeM: I did end up blanching them, if only to speed cooking time because I fell behind a little slash the meat finished faster than I expected and I ran out of time. These were small enough (except for a few) that it probably wouldn't have been otherwise nessesary.

Edited by shogun
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My only complaint about most brussel sprouts in restaurants is that they tend to be oily. I parboil them, toss them with herbs and a little olive oil, then throw them on a hot grill for a few minutes to crisp up.

My preferred method is to steam them and then toss with butter and soy sauce.

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my favorite way is from either julia child or martha stewar, i can't remember which.

trim and cut any large or medium size sprouts in half. boil in heavily salted water for 7-10 min, depending on size of sprout. drain and toss with a bit of butter, roast in pan covered with foil at 400 for about 10 min, then uncover and roast for an additional 10-20 min till all browned. delicious!

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I roasted some brussel sprouts last night. I quartered them and put them into a roasting dish with chopped apple, thyme, apple cider, evoo and butter. Season with s&p and roast at 375 for 25 min.

I threw in pre-cooked crumbled bacon for the last 5 min. of cooking.

Overall, I liked the combination of flavors, but I think next time I will do this on the stovetop and get really good caramelization on the sprouts first. That taste is key to me.

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Overall, I liked the combination of flavors, but I think next time I will do this on the stovetop and get really good caramelization on the sprouts first. That taste is key to me.

For Thanksgiving I often make a dish of roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash with sage and shallots. As long a the squash is chunked up about the size of the sprouts (halved), they tend to reach the level of roasted-ness I want from them in the same amount of time. Although I love the idea of getting some caramelization on the sprouts on the stovetop first...I might try that this year.

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For Thanksgiving I often make a dish of roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash with sage and shallots. As long a the squash is chunked up about the size of the sprouts (halved), they tend to reach the level of roasted-ness I want from them in the same amount of time. Although I love the idea of getting some caramelization on the sprouts on the stovetop first...I might try that this year.

Which get me to thinking-I'm going to get some bacon grease and brown the sprouts in that first! :(

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I love Brussels sprouts but am really atavistic with them - simmer gently till mushy, approx. 17 minutes. Serve whole, slice in half on the plate & plop way too much butter on each piece. Some consider this overcooking.

For some reason it always cracks me up when I buy frozen sprouts (outside the local season, of course) & the fine print on the bag says "Product of Belgium."

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I love Brussels sprouts but am really atavistic with them - simmer gently till mushy, approx. 17 minutes. Serve whole, slice in half on the plate & plop way too much butter on each piece. Some consider this overcooking."

You know, I actually like them "overcooked" too...

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A Thanksgiving staple for the past few years has been a super easy stove top method from Gourmet several years ago. First step is to brown halved or quartered sprouts over high heat in a wide pan (we use a combination butter/olive oil). Set sprouts aside. Reduce heat, caramelize shallots, add pancetta (optional, can also use chopped bacon at the end). Sprouts back into the pan, add just enough stock to cover the bottom. Cover and cook for a 3-4 minutes until sprouts are done. Toss with butter and parmesan to finish, S&P to taste.

These are the best sprouts I've ever had.

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As much as I love Brussels Sprouts with bacon or pancetta, let me plug the following recipes you could feed to your vegan friends: Union Square Cafe's Hashed Brussels Sprouts w Poppy Seeds (the black seeds pop transitively and intransitively--maybe, or at least literally and figuratively--when they respond to heat and effect a strong visual contrast that proves pleasing to the eye).

And adapted from the Moosewood cookbook on international dishes served at the restaurant on Sundays:

Steam B sprout halves w stubs of peeled carrots cut about one inch in length. (Recipe calls for leeks, too, but I never bother.)

While they're cooking, melt a little buter and add cider vinegar, horseradish and dillweed to taste.

Toss the vegetables in the mixture and season liberally w freshly ground pepper and a little salt.

This is called British food, and while it may sound about as tempting as mushy peas, Marmite and other ghastly foods of the fallen Empire, the odd combination is surprisingly delicious.

As for two of the best versions I've had recently, you'll have to:

a) check out the menu at Poste and see if Rob Weland is serving his side dish that includes Seckel Pears (sautéed), or

b ) buy Monica Bhide's Modern Spice. The latter is extremely creative, different, amazingly good and a great addition to Thanksgiving if you're also making a cranberry chutney.

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Chiffonade and slowly caramelize in a wide skillet with some butter. Throw in chestnuts if you have them.

I've always just halved or quartered them and roasted them. Chiffonading was a new and wonderful experience. It really helps the flavors spread. It's almost like a hot coleslaw.

I browned some butter, then tossed in the chiffonaded sprouts with leek, apple, sage, then a little cider vinegar and apple cider. Delicious.

And salt and pepper.

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I've always just halved or quartered them and roasted them. Chiffonading was a new and wonderful experience. It really helps the flavors spread. It's almost like a hot coleslaw.

I browned some butter, then tossed in the chiffonaded sprouts with leek, apple, sage, then a little cider vinegar and apple cider. Delicious.

And salt and pepper.

This is an excellent version. I used onion and thyme instead of leek and sage, and it came out great. My advice to anyone trying this is to saute the sprouts until you think they've just been browned enough, and then take a deep breath and keep going for another 5 minutes or so...it's really the deep caramelization that makes this go from good to great.

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My new favorite (albeit SUPER rich) method of preparing brussels sprouts is to braise them in cream. The cream becomes nutty and the whole thing is addictive. Recipe is from "All About Braising" (FANTASTIC book) by Molly Stevens and is also posted on the Orangette blog.

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My new favorite (albeit SUPER rich) method of preparing brussels sprouts is to braise them in cream. The cream becomes nutty and the whole thing is addictive. Recipe is from "All About Braising" (FANTASTIC book) by Molly Stevens and is also posted on the Orangette blog.

Thanks for sharing this info. I love that book.

We made a Mark Bittman recipe involving bacon and dried figs recently and it was fabulous.

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I've always just halved or quartered them and roasted them. Chiffonading was a new and wonderful experience. It really helps the flavors spread. It's almost like a hot coleslaw.

I browned some butter, then tossed in the chiffonaded sprouts with leek, apple, sage, then a little cider vinegar and apple cider. Delicious.

And salt and pepper.

To give credit where it is due, I believe I originally saw this on Sara Moulton's old Food Network show. She said her kids would even eat them this way.

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Both Tree and Leaf and New Morning Farms are selling them on the stalk. Buy one {Or 35!}

Remove the sporuts from the stalk and set aside (I just like to cut a cross in the bottom and blanch for a bit). Pare off the tough sking on the stalk. Be ruthless as he tough parts are really tough. The remainer is a delight. Cube it so the pices are about half the size of the sprouts, and blanch in salted water. Remember to ice the veggies after blanching. Drain well.

Take some pancetta or prosciutto trim, and twice as much onion. Sautee both in a little olive oil until the onions & pancetta starts to get translucent but not brown. Add some hot red chile flakes. Deglaze the pan with a mix of white wine & lemon juice {use about as much as you originally had pancetta} . Reduce until the liquid is almost all gone. Add copious amounts of duck stock {4 times as much stock as onion/pancetta mix, chicken will do, nothing from cubes or cans please!}. Reduce until the solids are in even proportion to the liquid. Season as you will to match the other flavors int he meal. Nutmeg, allspice are both nice but only use one or the other. Lots of pepper and salt can be added.

Take the drained blanched sprouts and stems and roast in duck fat over high heat until they beigin to color. Douse with the pancetta elixir above. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste and adjust for salt or lemon. Serve!

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Just to add another simple use of brussels sprouts - last night i threw them, and potatoes, and sunchokes in a roasting pan, and roasted an Eco-friendly chicken on a rack above them. Delicious chicken-fatty roasted goodness!

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I just peel the tough outer layers off the stalk, slice so they're about the same size Dean recommended above and either saute or roast them (tossed with olive oil/kosher salt/black pepper). If you keep them the size of the half sprout they take about the same amount of time to cook.

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I've always just halved or quartered them and roasted them. Chiffonading was a new and wonderful experience. It really helps the flavors spread. It's almost like a hot coleslaw.

I browned some butter, then tossed in the chiffonaded sprouts with leek, apple, sage, then a little cider vinegar and apple cider. Delicious.

And salt and pepper.

This is SO good. I think I have a winner for Thanksgiving!

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I haven't really ventured out of DC Restaurants and Dining before, but I think I need to come over here more!

Just did some sprouts last night for the first time this fall. Trimmed then cut the big ones in half, but left the smaller ones whole. Tossed with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, then just roasted at 400 for about 30-35 min (shaking/turning a few times). Nice and caramelized with some good flavor.

Definitely want to try the chiffonade method!

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This is SO good. I think I have a winner for Thanksgiving!

I know I'm micromanaging... but I really want to have a chill day tomorrow, and the hoards are demanding an early dinner. Can I chiffonade the Brussels sprouts tonight and cook the hash tomorrow, or will they brown and/or wilt?

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I know I'm micromanaging... but I really want to have a chill day tomorrow, and the hoards are demanding an early dinner. Can I chiffonade the Brussels sprouts tonight and cook the hash tomorrow, or will they brown and/or wilt?

It's okay to cut them ahead of time.

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The sprouts were the surprise winner for Tday, as folks had been eyeing them VERY suspiciously beforehand. Simply roasted (halved/quartered) with a bunch of dried cranberries and some stalks of thyme and rosemary, after the whole lot has been tossed with olive oil, S&P. They were much beloved and the first to go in the leftovers derby.

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The sprouts were the surprise winner for Tday, as folks had been eyeing them VERY suspiciously beforehand. Simply roasted (halved/quartered) with a bunch of dried cranberries and some stalks of thyme and rosemary, after the whole lot has been tossed with olive oil, S&P. They were much beloved and the first to go in the leftovers derby.

Leftover brussels are amazing. They just get better.

Roasted brussels are terrific with a Greek lemon sauce.

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