It’s probably my inner artist that compels me to treat a Brussels sprout the way I do: a quick steaming to bring out the bright-green blush, followed by a quick saute in butter.
That’s it. Delicately crisp and to the point. But like anything in life, it’s a matter of taste.
A California friend and fellow food writer, Elaine Corn, once shared her conflicting opinion regarding the amount of time a Brussels sprout should spend in steam or simmering water.
In a nutshell, she said it should cook long enough so that when thrown against a wall, it will make a satisfactory splat.
“None of that ‘al dente’ stuff,” she ranted. “You have to really cook a Brussels sprout before they’re worth fooling with.”
So there you have it, two completely opposite-yet-valid approaches. For me, overcooking creates a mushy, strong-flavored disaster — the stuff of youthful shudders.
For the best quality, Elaine and I agree, they should be bought by the stalk. You never know how long those little plastic-wrapped boxes have been around.
Make sure the sprouts are bright green and firm. Heads should be tightly closed and the leaves tightly furled. If the outer leaves are yellow and wilted, turn your cart about-face and head for the broccoli.
The two most basic approaches to cooking are blanching and steaming. Both methods come with pros and cons.
Blanching preserves the brilliant green color, but the sprouts tend to absorb some of the water.
Steaming, although more likely to render a tender-yet-crisp end result, can have a negative impact on the color if the vegetable is over-cooked, so you really have to watch your time. But if you can be mindful of the clock and plan on eating them immediately, steaming is preferable.
With both methods, the vegetable can be cooked almost to the done point, cooled quickly by plunging into cold water, then draining well and finished at a later time.
Two additional ways I like to prepare my sprouts are roasting and sauteeing. When sauteed, I like to first slice the Brussels sprouts into lovely little rounds, which means they cook extra fast and absorb lots of extra flavor in the process. Roasting seems to encourage an extra bit of sweetness to develop from within the little gems.
Size matters: Cook according to size; “small” are 3/4 to 1 inch; “medium” are 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch; “large” are 2 to 2 1/2 inches.
Steamed Brussels sprouts: Wash and trim sprouts (larger sprouts should be halved). Bring about 3/4 inch of water to a boil in a steamer. Place the sprouts in a steamer basket and steam, covered, until tender.
Small Brussels sprouts will cook in about 6 to 8 minutes; medium sprouts, 8 to 10 minutes; large sprouts, 10 to 12 minutes. Cooking times depend on the freshness of the vegetables. They should be tender but retaini a slight crunch.
If not eating them right away, cool them off immediately by immersing in cold water to preserve their color and texture.
Blanched Brussels sprouts: Wash and trim sprouts (larger sprouts should be halved). Boil the sprouts in a large pan of boiling salted water just until tender. Small sprouts will cook in 4 to 5 minutes; medium sprouts, 5 to 8 minutes; large sprouts, 8 to 12 minutes.
Drain, place in cold water to set color, then drain well and either refrigerate for later finishing touches or proceed to “finishing touches.”
Finishing touches
Add a little more butter to the skillet and cook until it’s browned. Fry some fresh bread crumbs in the browned butter.
Meanwhile, sprinkle a finely minced hard-cooked egg over the sprouts, then pour on the butter and crumbs.
Brussels sprouts and shrimp
3/4pound small Brussels sprouts
4tablespoons butter
1pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
1/2cup sliced Jerusalem artichokes or water chestnuts
Juice of a lemon half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2cup dry vermouth (or sherry)
Wash and trim Brussels sprouts and steam or blanch to barely tender. Drain; pat dry. Melt butter and oil in large skillet. When the butter begins to foam, add the shallots and saute for about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in Brussels sprouts and the Jerusalem artichokes or water chestnuts, sprinkle with lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until headed through. Remove to a warm dish. Add vermouth, and deglaze the pan. Reduce sauce slightly; pour over shrimp and Brussels sprouts.
Makes 4 servings.
Roasted Cornish game hens with creamed Brussels sprouts, walnuts and bacon
4Cornish game hens
Herb and orange marinade (recipe follows)
1 3/4teaspoons salt
1 3/4teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2cups water
5slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1pound Brussels sprouts
3/4cup heavy cream
2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2cup chopped toasted walnuts
Remove the game hens from any packaging and remove any giblets inside. Coat the birds, inside and out, with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably for 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Wipe the excess marinade off the birds. Season the birds with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Put in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 45 to 65 minutes, or until the breasts are firm and the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced with a knife. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the Brussels sprouts. In a 4-cup saucepan, bring the water to a boil and blanch the bacon pieces for 1 minute. (This removes some of the excess fat from the bacon so the cream sauce will not be greasy.) Drain the bacon and pat dry on paper towels for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts into circles. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until it begins to brown. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts turn bright green. Add the cream and cook just until thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and walnuts.
To serve, split each of the hens in half. Spoon a portion of the creamed Brussels sprouts onto each of 4 plates and top each serving with 2 Cornish game hen halves.
Herb and orange marinade: In a medium bowl, combine 2 crumbled bay leaves, 1 orange (chopped into 1-inch pieces) 1 chopped yellow onion, 1 coarsely chopped clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe from “Wildwood — Cooking From The Source in the Pacific Northwest,” by Cory Schreiber
Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts
2tablespoons olive oil
1yellow onion, julienned
3cloves garlic, chopped
1pound small to medium-sized Brussels sprouts
2teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Score the bottoms of the sprouts with an “X” Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Remove the pan from the heat and add the onion and garlic. Return to the heat and quickly saute for 1 to 2 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add the brussels sprouts and toss to mix well.
Place the pan in the oven and roast the vegetables for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, add the thyme, pepper, and vinegar and return the pan to the oven. Cook just until tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and season to taste with salt. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from “Caprial’s Bistro-Style Cuisine,” by Caprial Pence
Quick sauteed shredded Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic vinegar
1 1/2pounds Brussels sprouts
2tablespoons vegetable oil
2ounces pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
1/4cup balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Several strips shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Trim the Brussels sprouts and discard any damaged outside leaves. Fit a food processor with the slicing blade. Force the sprouts, a few at a time, through the chute with the blade in motion. You should have about 8 cups shredded sprouts.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook, stirring often, until very lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sprouts and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and increase the heat to high. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the vinegar has evaporated. Scrape the sprouts into a warmed serving bowl and top with the cheese. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
From “Sara Moulton Cooks at Home,” by Sara Moulton
Brussels sprouts with pancetta
1pound Brussels sprouts
1/4pound pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2cup finely chopped yellow onion
2tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Trim and wash the sprouts. If the sprouts are large, halve them before cooking. Steam or blanch until barely tender. Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in the oil until browned; remove and reserve. Add the onions and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned. Add the Brussels sprouts and reheat, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons butter if desired. Add cooked pancetta, toss together, and season to taste.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Adapted from “The Victory Garden Cookbook,” by Marian Morash
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. janrd@proaxis.com.
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