Vegetable dishes Brussel Sprouts (that Won't make ya gag!)

[SoJer]

Few veggies (outside of Cilantro seem to cause as Much 'strong polarity' as Brussel Sprouts - people either Love 'em.. or start looking for their 12 ga..

Personally, I Used to be in the 'Ugh.. blechh' camp with 'em, but.. I Discovered that it's Largely How they are Prepped / Cooked.. that makes All the Difference in the World. Or at least the Kitchen.

So, this is a Solid Winner Recipe, around Our House, anyway. (Note: Measurements, herein, are not particularly.. 'Precise', sorry.. That's just not the Way I cook, so.. Feel free to help 'Quantify' this, in comments.. But, as a 'starting point', consider this to be in the context of about 12-15 Sprouts..)

- Start with "smallish" light-green ones - Under 1.5" in dia.. Not the 1.5"+ 'Darkside' ones - those will be Inherently tougher / more bitter.. (kinda like the 'Lamb / Mutton dynamic'

- Peel off 1-2 Outer leaves-layers, cut off the 'butts' (stems - though Some ppl like em, we don't particularly) Wash, Drain any excess Water, & Quarter them; Put in glass or stainless bowl..

- Bathe in a generous amount of Fresh Lemon juice (~1/2 a baseball-size Lemon) and ~2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar.. (the acid + vinegar sort of 'chemically blanch' the bitterness out - Note that this is my "theory", not any "Official Brussel Sprouts University" lore, aight? But it Works..

- Meantime that the 'Quarters' are soaking (they don't need to be 'swimming' - just Throuroughly-wet with the LJ + BV..), prep your sauté pan:

- Generous amount of Olive Oil (I prefer EVOO) say ~1/8 cup, finely minced Garlic (1 clove), Coarse Ground Pepper (I like the 'multi-colored Peppercorn' grinders..) Grindered Sea Salt, and ~ 1x 4" sprig of dried Rosemary. Adding ~1 tsp of finely chopped Pine Nuts are a Wonderful option (but, acknowledged they are $$$, so are an Option.. see note about Roasted Almond-slivers, later..)

- Brown the Garlic / Spices (but Don't Burn..) over Med-High heat, and, Carefully add the Sprout Quarters, slightly 'drained' (dump em into a small mesh colander to strain the LJ + BV into another bowl - But Save that mixture - you'll add it in (and More) shortly.. This is just to avoid the 'Lots of liquid into Hot Oil' conundrum)

- With Flat-Wooden spatula, 'sear' the Sprouts in the Oil / Spices (the oil should be somewhat 'reduced' by now - you don't want these 'swimming' in oil) and - once the Heat is reduced a bit (by the Sprouts bringing it down) Sprinkle-in more Balsamic Vinegar, generously. You can Also add more Lemon Juice at this point (but don't Overdo it..)

- Sauté till the BV is 'reduced' into a bit of a 'caramelized state' (Covering the pan between stirring / turning over, etc helps quicken this along) and add Olive Oil (a 'Misto' is Invaluable for this, btw..) and more BV, until a Nice, thick 'sauce' has been created. You Can add a bit more LJ if it gets Too gooey / starts to stick, etc, but again, don't Overdo the Lemon..) Toss in slivered Roasted Almonds at this point (again, as an Option) if Pine Nuts proved to Not be 'in the budget'..

- Kill the Heat, Cover, and let 'steam simmer' for a few minutes before serving. Certainly - Taste - at this point, and feel free to add Salt / Pepper, and/or a bit more EVOO (if the 'sauce' got too-gooey / sticky, etc) Sprouts should be "tender" - but not reduced to 'mush', where they Completely 'come apart' / All leaves fall off, etc

- Best enjoyed with a Nice Roasted Lamb Shank (hey - ya've Already Got the EVOO / Salt/Pepper / Rosemary, right? and a nice White Wine for the Win.

Please critique / add Options / suggestions / what 'Worked for You', etc... and/or How I'm all Wrong, and B-Sprouts are still Ipecac.

jd

 

[Neb]

Few veggies (outside of Cilantro seem to cause as Much 'strong polarity' as Brussel Sprouts - people either Love 'em.. or start looking for their 12 ga..

Personally, I Used to be in the 'Ugh.. blechh' camp with 'em, but.. I Discovered that it's Largely How they are Prepped / Cooked.. that makes All the Difference in the World. Or at least the Kitchen.

So, this is a Solid Winner Recipe, around Our House, anyway. (Note: Measurements, herein, are not particularly.. 'Precise', sorry.. That's just not the Way I cook, so.. Feel free to help 'Quantify' this, in comments.. But, as a 'starting point', consider this to be in the context of about 12-15 Sprouts..)

- Start with "smallish" light-green ones - Under 1.5" in dia.. Not the 1.5"+ 'Darkside' ones - those will be Inherently tougher / more bitter.. (kinda like the 'Lamb / Mutton dynamic'

- Peel off 1-2 Outer leaves-layers, cut off the 'butts' (stems - though Some ppl like em, we don't particularly) Wash, Drain any excess Water, & Quarter them; Put in glass or stainless bowl..

- Bathe in a generous amount of Fresh Lemon juice (~1/2 a baseball-size Lemon) and ~2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar.. (the acid + vinegar sort of 'chemically blanch' the bitterness out - Note that this is my "theory", not any "Official Brussel Sprouts University" lore, aight? But it Works..

- Meantime that the 'Quarters' are soaking (they don't need to be 'swimming' - just Throuroughly-wet with the LJ + BV..), prep your sauté pan:

- Generous amount of Olive Oil (I prefer EVOO) say ~1/8 cup, finely minced Garlic (1 clove), Coarse Ground Pepper (I like the 'multi-colored Peppercorn' grinders..) Grindered Sea Salt, and ~ 1x 4" sprig of dried Rosemary. Adding ~1 tsp of finely chopped Pine Nuts are a Wonderful option (but, acknowledged they are $$$, so are an Option.. see note about Roasted Almond-slivers, later..)

- Brown the Garlic / Spices (but Don't Burn..) over Med-High heat, and, Carefully add the Sprout Quarters, slightly 'drained' (dump em into a small mesh colander to strain the LJ + BV into another bowl - But Save that mixture - you'll add it in (and More) shortly.. This is just to avoid the 'Lots of liquid into Hot Oil' conundrum)

- With Flat-Wooden spatula, 'sear' the Sprouts in the Oil / Spices (the oil should be somewhat 'reduced' by now - you don't want these 'swimming' in oil) and - once the Heat is reduced a bit (by the Sprouts bringing it down) Sprinkle-in more Balsamic Vinegar, generously. You can Also add more Lemon Juice at this point (but don't Overdo it..)

- Sauté till the BV is 'reduced' into a bit of a 'caramelized state' (Covering the pan between stirring / turning over, etc helps quicken this along) and add Olive Oil (a 'Misto' is Invaluable for this, btw..) and more BV, until a Nice, thick 'sauce' has been created. You Can add a bit more LJ if it gets Too gooey / starts to stick, etc, but again, don't Overdo the Lemon..) Toss in slivered Roasted Almonds at this point (again, as an Option) if Pine Nuts proved to Not be 'in the budget'..

- Kill the Heat, Cover, and let 'steam simmer' for a few minutes before serving. Certainly - Taste - at this point, and feel free to add Salt / Pepper, and/or a bit more EVOO (if the 'sauce' got too-gooey / sticky, etc) Sprouts should be "tender" - but not reduced to 'mush', where they Completely 'come apart' / All leaves fall off, etc

- Best enjoyed with a Nice Roasted Lamb Shank (hey - ya've Already Got the EVOO / Salt/Pepper / Rosemary, right? and a nice White Wine for the Win.

Please critique / add Options / suggestions / what 'Worked for You', etc... and/or How I'm all Wrong, and B-Sprouts are still Ipecac.

jd

@ThePrincess loves them and I hate the smell. I am growing more for her but the smell!

Ben

 

[Supervisor42]

@ThePrincess loves them and I hate the smell. I am growing more for her but the smell!

Ben

I am a rebel, and have always loved brussel sprouts.
Yes, they do 'smell' up the house when you cook them. (or as others say: stink it up.)
They do need salt & pepper and lots of real butter!

 

[SoJer]

...I am growing more for her but the smell!

..Weeell...

..I hear 'just a dab under each nostril'...

I find the Garlic / Rosemary / BV cooking in the Oil tends to 'dominate the nasal landscape' when cooking this (and - Honestly, I think the Lemon-J and BV seems to 'neutralize' most of the classic Sprout-stink to begin with, so... Might be a Win there, too..

jd

 

[Shawn Burkett]

Not my fav, unless they are fresh. I eat them grudgingly when hubby wants them, but only if they are smothered with bacon.

 

[Morgan101]

@ThePrincess loves them and I hate the smell. I am growing more for her but the smell!

I soooo agree. Anything that smells that bad could not possibly taste good. For me, that holds true with a lot of vegetables. If I can't get it past my nose it is not going in my mouth.

Sorry, Sojer. I didn't eat them (Brussel Sprouts) for my Mother, and I'm not eating them for you

 

[TexasCharm]

Much like okra, I can eat brussel sprouts any way you wanna give them to me. Raw, boiled, broiled, fried.. just don't care. But I LOVE green stuff!

 

[Supervisor42]

@ThePrincess loves them and I hate the smell. I am growing more for her but the smell!

Ben

I grew them one year, long ago, and they are not hard to grow...
But some may not know, they grow differently than other crops, but are very productive per sqft of garden.
They grow out of the stalk of what looks like a miniature palm tree:

In the room it takes to grow one head of cabbage, you can grow dozens of sprouts.

 

[Cabin Fever]

We roast halved Brussels sprouts in the oven until crispy. Then, glaze them with a maple syrup, soy sauce, Sriracha, lemon juice, and minced garlic sauce (reduced).