In Season: Brussels Sprouts
My long-term relationship with brussels sprouts has, like so many, had its ups and downs. I remember my mother pulling the glistening round gems out of the oven before dinner, when I would instinctively begin performing my most theatrical "I am a kid so I am not supposed to like these at all" routine. Secretly, though, my mouth was watering and I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into a buttery, tender sprout. Today, I have dropped the dramatics and proudly label myself as an avid brussels sprouts fan. Approaching the peak season of this delicious vegetable, it is time to eat brussels sprouts as often (and with as much pride!) as possible.
Some brussels sprout recipes, tips, and ideas after the jump.
Becoming popular in the early 16th century, brussels sprouts are native to the Brussels region of Belgium, from which they get their name. These brassicas resemble small cabbage heads and grow in a spiral pattern up thick stalks that can range from two to four feet in height. Each stalk typically produces about two pounds with an average yearly yield of 32,000 pounds in the United States alone. Brussels sprouts grow best in cold weather, making them a perfect vegetable for fall.
When you are selecting your brussels sprouts, look for firm and tight heads with a slight tenderness. Make sure that there are no brown spots or wilted leaves on the sprouts. Sadly, brussels sprouts will only last 4-5 days in the refigerator, so you may want to try freezing them if you've got a large haul. Just put about a pound of trimmed and cleaned sprouts in boiling water for 5 minutes, then blanch, drain, dry, and store in freezer bags for up to one year.
Below is a compliation of tasty recipes featuring the delicious and in-season brussels sprout.
Recipes
- Brussels, Beemster, and Bacon Gratin
- Warm Winter Salad
- Caramelized Tofu with Brussels Sprouts
- Mark Bittman's Braised and Glazed Brussels Sprouts
- Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Pine-Nut Bread Crumb Topping
- Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo
- Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts
- Salad with Pancetta Crisps, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Pear
- Dan Barber's Brussels Sprouts
- Brussels Sprouts Hash with Carmelized Shallots from Bon Appétit
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
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24 Comments:
We've been making shredded Brussels sprouts sauteed in butter for years. You cook them until they start to brown, squeeze lime juice near then end, then season to taste. Fantastic - though the gratin looks like a must try
TracyNC at 2:13PM on 10/31/09
I eat Brussels sprouts all the time.... just yesterday my Trader Joe's began carrying them on the whole stalk. By the time I chopped them all off and cleaned them up, I had 2 1/2 pounds of sprouts for $2.99!
mangabanga at 3:07PM on 10/31/09
Sorry, guys, but those little buds of vile make me wanna puke. Every time, any preparation.
sailordave at 7:00PM on 10/31/09
just updated my fresh direct order to add brussels sprouts. I like to halve them then roast in a wide skillet until golden (though admittedly I like them a little singed) with salt, butter, lemon juice and sprinkle of cayenne pepper. My husband hates them! Which is fine b/c it leaves more for me :)
nithya at hungrydesi at 7:24PM on 10/31/09
Count me in; I love Brussels sprouts and eat them often. Sometimes dinner is a bowl of steamed sprouts with butter, salt and pepper. They are always a part of my Thanksgiving table.
ride&cook at 8:12PM on 10/31/09
I have always loved brussles sprouts and always finished them at the table, stingily keeping the bowl of them near me throughout the meal. I actually only learned about a year ago that they were in the same kid-hated category as spinach and broccoli. I don't know where I was when I was a kid, but I had totally missed that I wasn't supposed to like it!
hiimlauren at 8:29PM on 10/31/09
Growing up I hated Brussel Sprouts, as traditionally made by my mother, but I absolutely love them roasted. I coat 2 lbs of trimmed and halved sprouts with an emulsion of 3 tbsp of olive oil w/ 2 tbsp maple syrup, place in a roasting pan and sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast them at 425 degrees for between 20 to 30 minutes. My entire family loves them, my daughter will eat them cold for lunch the next day, and she's a picky eater.
Mares at 10:55PM on 10/31/09
My favorite preparation for them is to dice up some bacon, fry it in a cast iron frying pan until it's about half-done, and remove most of the fat, as well as the bacon. Then I toss my cleaned, halved sprouts in the pan with a tiny bit of butter, and fry them until they start to brown. Then I put the bacon back in, mix it up, roast it for about 10 to 15 minutes until they're fork-tender, pull them out, and pour in a little cream and some garlic powder. Then I reduce it until it's just barely coated by the cream and it becomes something wicked and decadent and delicious. (I made this one up after having them at the Red Star Tavern in Portland Oregon. The chicken was good. The sprouts were so amazing that I finished those instead of the chicken!)
Erisian Saint at 4:56AM on 11/01/09
My recommendation is to never place them after blanching, boiling or steaming in ice water to shock !!
They will get soggy and watery, no matter how short a time they are submerged.
Solution: simply after first cooking treatment spread out on paper towels and place in refrigerator or freezer for a very short time.
Further prep methods as desired will benefit.
Mine is to simply saute in butter to a bit charred color season with fresh grated nutmeg, by grating directly into the hot butter will have a toasted nutty flavoring effect. Nice!
kanopemainer at 7:51AM on 11/01/09
I on the other hand grew up w/a New England cook of a mother who cooked Brussel Sprouts until they were yellow, told us they were good for us and made us eat them, they were bitter, hard and I grew up really disliking them.
Then I bought a stalk a couple of years ago at my local farmer's market,because it looked so funny and I was intrigued. I went home, cut them off and cooked them that night and fell in love with them, they were a totally different vegetable. I parboiled them, shocked them and sauteed them, added some bacon, They were incredibly sweet, almost sugary and soft.
I have some sitting in a bag in my kitchen now, and will try Dan Barber's recipe with the balsamic glaze, sounds yummy!!!!
Jbout at 8:00AM on 11/01/09
we love brussels sprouts and every year cannot wait until the first frost so we can pop them off their stalks in our garden (they taste sweeter after the first frost).
i'm afraid we are not very inventive in the kitchen when it come to them because they are just so damn good cut in half, placed on a baking sheet, tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper, and placed in a 375 degree preheated oven. best if left in a single layer so they actually roast instead of steam. once the edges get deeply golden-brown they are done. and each one popped in the mouth is crunchy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth delicious on the inside.
best eaten out of hand, one at a time, of course.
tigress at 9:07AM on 11/01/09
I remember the first time I had brussels sprouts. My aunt made them and I think she just boiled them and then tossed with butter and salt. She wasnt much of a cook. I dont remember anything else she ever cooked except the sickly sweet sweet potato casserole she made every year. But anyway I was hooked from the first bite. I looked over at my dad and said "why dont we ever have these?" he looked so confused!
Now my fiance is simply addicted to them. I wanted to try and grow some. But I think I planted the seeds too late. Oh well. Now that they're in season, we'll probably be eating them all the time. Our favorite way is set in a pan with olive oil cut side down. We pour a little water in the pan and cover it until the water is gone, much like you would cook potstickers. We finish them with a little balsamic and parmesan or romano.
Another way I like to prepare them is in a green bean casserole. I just substitute quartered brussels sprouts for half of the green beans. Delish.
MsHumpal at 9:17AM on 11/01/09
As with cauliflower, I think roasting brings out the best sweetness in this crucifer. My favorite fall pantry meal is this combination of gnocchi with brussels sprouts and walnuts: roasted sprouts, potato dumplings, and toasted nuts, all topped with a bit of cheese.
deensiebat at 11:08AM on 11/02/09
I had the best brussel sprouts I've ever had in my entire life recently at the new DBGB in NYC. They were far from healthy though but full on flavor.
accidentalepicurean at 2:57PM on 11/02/09
In the latest GQ issue, there is a Momofuku-inspired recipe for deelish brussel sprouts. The trick is to sautee them face down first in butter to get the carmelization and then throw them in the oven.
Also, bacon and sriracha.
momopeche at 6:18PM on 11/02/09
Two of my favorites:
Sliced Brussels Saute'
Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Brussels Sprouts Julienned and sauteed in Butter
And
Crispy Roast Brussels Sprouts:
Trim and Halve sprouts. Coat in Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper. Arrange face down on baking sheet. Bake at 350 till Sprouts begin to brown. Eat as a side dish... or pop 'em like popcorn!
Jadydangel at 1:28AM on 11/03/09
I had amazing brussels sprouts over the weekend at a tapas place called The Vanderbilt in Brooklyn. The menu said it had sriracha, lime, and honey. Whatever they did to it, it was so friggin tasty. I dream about these brussels sprouts.
LHSK12 at 10:11AM on 11/03/09
Favorite fall weekend breakfast: Brussel sprout hash with bacon & potatoes and a poached egg sitting on top. Outrageous!
mookie at 1:53PM on 11/03/09
My favorite sprout recipe is from Joy of Cooking. Halve the sprouts. Over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, place sprouts cut side down in the butter, place lid on skillet, turn heat to medium low and leave covered for 15-20 minutes. Check with fork for tenderness. Toss with sea salt and black pepper. Fresh parmesan is optional, but delicious!
fyrebelley at 5:20PM on 11/03/09
The brussel sprouts have produced very well this season but as the season has come to a close I notice that the leaves atop as well as down the stalk look so beautiful, I have not heard of eating these leaves but we love cabbage, collards, and the sprouts and would like to make something with these leaves. If anyone has tried them or knows of a receipe... or for that matter a reason not to eat them ....please let me know .....
djwhiskey at 10:08AM on 11/07/09
I like them blanched, cut in half, and stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and a final seasoning mixture of sherry, soy sauce, corn startch, sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar, which is a common mixture for stir-fried veggies. If you know how to wok, you know to heat about 1-2 TBLSP of peanut oil until smoking, add the minced ginger and garlic, cook until browned, and then add the blanched and drained brussel sprouts, stir-fry until they soften, and then stir in the final seasoning mixture. Sorry I don't have the measurements with me, but I think it is 1 tsp each of sugar, sherry, vinegar, salt, 1 TBLSP of corn startch and 2 TBLSP of soy sauce. Great dish!
richopp at 9:28AM on 11/09/09
I blanch them while frying up the bacon. Half them and chop/crumble the bacon. finish cooking them in the bacon fat and deglase with balsemic vinager. top with bacon and serve hot. There are people who come to my Thanksgiving dinner just for the sprouts! LOL
MaureenCDRyan at 1:42PM on 11/09/09
I never cared much for brussels sprouts until later in life. They ain't strawberry shortcake but I can tolerate them. I think my palate was tainted by some poorly prepared sprouts in the past because I cooked up some fresh ones with just butter and salt for my wife and they surprisingly good -still not strawberry shortcake. Last Thanksgiving I made a sort of slaw out of brussels sprouts from a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. They were a hit.
So I guess I'll try a couple of the recipes above and see how they fly. The cheese and bacon gratin sounds good.
DAFOXFL at 11:53PM on 11/11/09
They're the Ugly Betty of veggies: not too enticing at first, but sexy and dynamic when you get to know them.
I've started slicing them and throwing them into my stir fries and warm salads. I'd also like to work them into an hors d'oeuvres, maybe roasted then skewered with fried chorizo and/or cheese.
therecipeforlove at 11:50AM on 11/12/09