Brussel Sprouts
October 27, 2004 1:38 PM   Subscribe

[VegetableFilter] What should I do with the brussel sprouts I bought?
posted by Utilitaritron to Food & Drink (24 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Saute' them in butter and then toss in a bit of real maple syrup.
posted by bondcliff at 1:54 PM on October 27, 2004


they'll definitely some sort of strong sauce to remain edible. Unless you've already acquired a taste for them. I tend to pressure cook the heck out of stuff like that so it's very tender.
posted by mecran01 at 2:16 PM on October 27, 2004


Slice them up, saute in olive oil with lots of ground pepper, toss with balsamic vinegar and lots of parmesan.

Or you can parboil them, and put them in a casserole with butter, salt and pepper, and bake them like that.

Just don't overcook them.
posted by kenko at 2:22 PM on October 27, 2004


I like a little nutmeg on mine.
posted by muckster at 2:24 PM on October 27, 2004


I once had a warm brussels sprouts salad at Gordon's House of Fine Eats in San Francisco, which included the sprouts themselves, steamed and chopped, along with bacon and blue cheese. It was divine.
posted by padraigin at 2:28 PM on October 27, 2004


Oven roasted brussel sprouts with chestnuts! Very simple to make, and you can utilize the best flavor of the sprouts and the chestnuts:

Step 1: buy 1 large jar of peeled chestnuts. put them on a pan and roughly smash them. Put them in the oven for about 5-10 minutes @ 400 to get them toasty. Don't let them burn.

Step 2: clean the brussel sprouts under running water, and peel off the first, bottom layer. However, his is not always necessary if the outer leaves aren't dirty, so don't go crazy.

Step 3: Slice each brussel sprout in half, top to bottom, starting at the white base and ending at it's "head". Toss in a bowl with olive oil and salt. Don't worry about the outer leaves falling off. When these seperated leaves cook, they get to be like chips!

Step 4: Put halved-sprouts on a baking pan and drizzle sweet balsamic vinegar on top. Cook until roasted (brownish) for about 30 minutes under 400 heat. Flip & agitate occassionally for even cooking.

Step 5: toss with the roasted chestnuts, and you have a perfect autumn vegetable side.
posted by naxosaxur at 2:37 PM on October 27, 2004


It's a lot of steps, but it's worth it (I think this was originally adapted from a Tom Colicchio recipe):

Remove the cores, blanch the sprouts in a lot of water for a few minutes. Shock in an ice bath. Separate the leaves and blanch again for a minute or two. Shock again. Braise the leaves in chicken stock until tender.

Mmmmm....

Alternately, as the last step, you can saute the leaves and toss in the pan with lardons. Sprouts really go well with bacon.
posted by Caviar at 2:48 PM on October 27, 2004


I like Naxosaxur's recipe. Roasted brussel sprouts are delicious, even without the chestnuts.

Boiled in a pressure cooker though? Ew. Cooking methods like that give good vegetables a bad name!
posted by bcwinters at 2:48 PM on October 27, 2004


I like them steamed. Slice off a bit of the bottom, peel away any wilted leaves, and cut an X into the bottom of each one with a sharp knife. Then steam or boil them for 10 minutes or so and serve with melted butter and parmesean cheese. Yum.
posted by bonheur at 2:50 PM on October 27, 2004


Saute in butter with some red onion. Mix some mayonnaise with wasabi for a spicy dip. Yum!
posted by kamikazegopher at 3:13 PM on October 27, 2004


Steam them as per Joy of Cooking (or bonheur) and then serve with butter, sriracha sauce, and a touch of garlic powder.
posted by sohcahtoa at 3:44 PM on October 27, 2004


What bcwinters said (I've had his brussels sprouts and they're good). Alternatively, braise them with water or cream.
Do not overcook them. In fact, it is better to risk undercooking the big ones than to overcook the little ones. Trust me, they'll make your whole kitchen smell like ass if you overcook them. If you have really big ones, cut them in half before cooking.
If you smell sulphur, you overcooked them.
A fellow I used to room with loved them with balsamic vinegar.
posted by willpie at 3:45 PM on October 27, 2004


And the for the least ineresting idea - Boil for 5 mins. Plenty of salt and pepper.
posted by ed\26h at 3:56 PM on October 27, 2004 [1 favorite]


If you don't mind the extra calories, a white sauce with a bit of dill for seasoning makes brussel sprouts scrumptious.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:10 PM on October 27, 2004


Personally, I toss mine...straight into the rubbish. Ick.

My wife likes them steamed with butter, salt and pepper as bonheur describes.

(Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are about the only vegetables I don't like)
posted by briank at 5:28 PM on October 27, 2004


briank: "A cucumber should be well sliced, dressed with oil and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing." (Samuel Johnson)
posted by kenko at 5:41 PM on October 27, 2004


I love to steam these lightly and eat 'em as is.

I construct an airtight steamer of a pyrex outer bowl, a porcelain inner bowl, and a plate over the top; put an inch of standing water in the pyrex bowl; pile the brussel sprouts in the porcelain cereal bowl; seal the top with the plate; and nuke for 7-8 minutes on high. Presto, steamed brussel sprouts, the earth's gift to you.

On removing from the microwave, break the seal with a wooden spoon to avoid a nasty steam scald.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:26 PM on October 27, 2004


Brussels sprouts are foul. Not even Julia's recipe could redeem them, so I no longer bother.
posted by Vidiot at 1:20 AM on October 28, 2004


The impending doom of an oncoming winter is always offset by the arrival of Brussel Sprout season.

bonheur has the technique down and naxosaxur's chestnut recipie is a great version. Sauteed in butter with walnuts is an alternative.
posted by i_cola at 5:09 AM on October 28, 2004


My mother does a good recipe where she cooks them in a cream sauce.
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 9:19 AM on October 28, 2004


My favorite recipe - if the brussel sprouts are fresh, start out by following bonheur's advice and slice off a bit of the bottom, peel away any wilted leaves, and cut an X into the bottom of each one with a sharp knife. If they're frozen, just toss them in the pot. Cover with water & simmer with a 1/4-stick of butter & a cube or two of chicken bouillon. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Yummy!
posted by tdismukes at 10:13 AM on October 28, 2004


[late to the party]
fyi, overcooking brussel sprouts leave them with a bitter taste, fwiw.
posted by thomcatspike at 1:56 PM on October 28, 2004


And you only want the smallest, greenest, tightest sprouts. Monster sprouts are sulphurous.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 4:23 PM on October 28, 2004


Good Life Brussels Sprouts. My friend and I created this recipe, it's one of my favorite things to eat at this time of year. I think I'll make some tomorrow, now that I've been reminded.
posted by Dreama at 7:17 PM on October 28, 2004


« Older Birthday Game   |   Broccoli Stir-Fry Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.