Poll: How Do You Cook Your Brussel Sprouts

Cafe Society
1

We always give something awful to trick-or-treaters as a little trick (with lots of candy to make up for it) and this year we gave brussel sprouts, carrots and radishes. The carrots were very popular and we gave all but three away!

We always try to get stuff we like to eat so we can have the left overs. So what should I do with all these brussel sprouts? I asked “How Do You Cook Your Brussel Sprouts?” around at work and the most common answer I got was “I don’t”, followed by “boiled”.

So, How Do You Cook Your Brussel Sprouts?

2

Shred one pound of brussel sprouts, cook for 2 minutes in olive oil on med-high in a pan, add the juice and zest of one orange, plus one inch of grated ginger root. Cook two minutes more, serve immediately.*

You can add shredded almonds to the oil first and let them get a bit crunchy before adding the shredded sprouts.

3

Sending this sizzling topic to Cafe Society, from IMHO.

4

I usually boil them, but I once was successful in baking them on a cookie sheet with a little oil. Fresh brussels sprouts only.

5

With bacon!

6

Roasted, like RealityChuck described.

7

Quartered and fried.

8

I cook them one of two ways regularly as they are Ledzepkid’s most favorite veg. He eats them like most kids eat candy.

  1. Clean and cut in half about 27 lbs of sprouts. Cook up some bacon in the large cast iron skillet. Remove about half of the bacon fat. Cook sprouts in remaining bacon fat. Add crumbled bacon back in.

  2. Clean and cut in half about a zillion sprouts, and any other hearty vegetables I have (carrots, turnips, parsnips, fennel), drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast at 425 for about 20 minutes or until everything is cooked to desired doneness.

We never boil them. We used to have the boiled as a kid. Bleah! We always use fresh. I’m never really sure how many I am buying at a time. Probably about 2-2.5 lbs.

9

I’ve had success with all of these:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic
Summary:

Overcooked Brussels sprouts have given the vegetable a bad rap. Roasting the sprouts minimizes the cabbage flavor so many people dislike. Not only is the cabbage flavor of this dish almost nonexistent, but it’s fast and easy to prepare.

6 servings

Ingredients:

· 1 to 1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and stems trimmed, each cut in half

· 8 to 10 small to medium cloves garlic

· 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· Salt

· Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, garlic, oil and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to make sure the sprouts are evenly coated. Transfer to a roasting pan large enough to hold the sprouts in one layer.

Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring at the 10- and 20-minute marks. The sprouts are ready when they have started to brown and are tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.

Braised Brussels Sprouts
The Washington Post, February 15, 2006

Summary:

This is Stephanie Witt Sedgwick’s hands-down favorite way to cook them. This method gives Brussels sprouts an almost-melting quality. Bacon imparts a smoky flavor here, but it’s not essential; the bacon may be replaced with a tablespoon or two of oil.

6 servings

Ingredients:

· 1/4 pound bacon, diced

· 1/2 cup chopped onion

· 1 to 1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and stems trimmed, each cut in half

· 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

· Pinch sugar

· Salt

· Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a pan large enough to eventually hold all of the Brussels sprouts, cook the bacon over medium heat until the bacon releases its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring every minute or so, until it is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the sprouts, stock or broth, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow the sprouts to cook slowly until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high and bring the stock or broth back to a boil. Cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm until ready.

Warm Orange-Ginger Brussels Sprout Slaw
Summary:

A friend of Stephanie Witt Sedgwick’s who thought she didn’t like Brussels sprouts was won over by a suggestion from Park Hyatt executive chef Brian McBride. He shredded the sprouts as you would a cabbage for slaw and then sautéed them with ginger and orange. She never made it for Stephanie, but the technique and combination of ingredients stayed on her to-do list.

When she got around to making her own version, she was wowed: “It’s like a slaw but better. The Brussels sprouts give it a more delicate quality. The orange and ginger flavors really pop, and there’s not a hint of the old-fashioned, cooked-to-death sprouts in this dish.”

6 servings

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1 pound Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, stems trimmed, either shredded in a food processor or cut in half and thinly sliced

· 1 -inch piece ginger root, peeled and finely grated

· 1 orange, grated zest and juice

· Salt

· Freshly ground black pepper

· 2 to 3 tablespoons water (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shredded sprouts and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, orange zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring, until the sprouts are just cooked, 4 to 5 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Serve immediately.

10

We often cut them in halves (or quarters, if they’re big 'uns) and toss them in the pasta-boiling water for the last few minutes. We do that with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and tofu too. (We then add red sauce at the table for our commonest “What the hell should we make for dinner?” dinner.) But they’re probably better for you if you steam them, since the water leaches out some of the nutritional goodness. My very favorite, however, is when my husband stir-fries them for his version of Tom Kha – a Thai coconut milk based soup. The way he makes it is more like a stew or maybe a stir fry with a lot of sauce on it than a soup… I do not believe Brussels sprouts are a traditional ingredient, but they’re mighty tasty in it, along with red bell peppers, mushrooms, and baby corns. We use this soup base for it.

11

“Boiled” sounds bad, but lightly cooking them in boiling water is OK if you don’t do it too long. Cutting them in half or cutting crosses in the bottom helps them cook faster and more evenly. Once drained I saute them in lots of butter with shallots and add a bit of lemon jiice.

12

Cut in half, brush with light olive oil and whatever garlic/herb mix appeals, and broil. Maybe add lemon juice after, depending upon the herbs.

13

I chop them in half and saute them in a pan.

14

They are good cooked this way:

Steam them covered in the microwave until they turn bright green.

Smother in Hollandaise sauce. :slight_smile:

15

That sounds good. We usually cook the shredded brussel sprouts (a food processor works great for this) in olive oil, turning them over periodicaly until they just start to brown, add a little salt, and that’s it. I then like to mix them up with some rice about 50-50.

And adding a slice or two of chopped bacon to the pan before cooking is always good if you need more flavor.

16

Thanks for all the recipes! I’m leaning toward one of the bacon recipes so far! According to the SD, bacon makes everything better.

Looking at the poll results, it seems bears don’t care for brussel sprouts much. This surprises me.

17

Concur. Also, a little Lawry’s sprinkled on.

18

Fried til really crispy with bacon and onions.

19

They become crispy? :confused:

20

Brussels sprouts are icky. I don’t think even bacon can help.