Brussels Sprouts

[Robinez]

Hi,

My husband is not an adventurous eater.After 17 yrs I am still trying.

I have managed to make a dent.Usually by making it more appealing knowing his weaknesses for other foods.For example I made an asparagus casserole with cheese and he started liking asparagus.I made stuffed mushrooms using crab and he liked mushrooms all of the sudden! :-)..etc

When it comes to brussels sprouts I usually just make some for me when I get a hankering for them,but because it is only myself eating them I usually just steam them and add butter,salt+pepper.He isn't interested,never liked them.

I just found sprouts on sale for $1.30 lb. Can you think of a recipe that might make him want to start eating brussell sprouts? It is one of my fav vegs when fresh.

Thanks,Robin

[echoclerk]

This dijon-braised brussels sprouts is pretty irresistible.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/1...

[shaebones]

Agree! They are delicious!

[sandylc]

Roasted brussels are amazing.

Two things: Make sure they brown a bit, and they are amazing with NUTS mixed in. Hazelnuts or pecans are the best.

[Veggo]

I can and have made a meal of them, quite a few times. My Dallas market sells them still on the stalk, I snip them off with scissors, Halve them lengthwise, melt a few ounces of duck fat in the microwave, lightly toss them in a bowl with the duck fat only enough to coat them, spread them on a metal pan, light sprinke of sea salt, 350 oven until I get that little crisp on the outer leaves, usually about 22 minutes. sometimes I add a little balsamic vinegar, but they really don't need extra help.

[Puffin3]

Cut them in half. Steam but add a few drops of lemon juice in the steaming water. When still half done remove and slow saute in heavy cream. You either like them or you don't. I love them. Serve hot with grated grana padano. Nirvana.

[bear]

Sounds really good. I'll give it a try.

[TheFormerVeg]

I will be roasting mine in goose fat this year, because I'm cooking a goose. I hear that cooking them in duck fat per this recipe here: http://chezus.com/2009/11/24/duck-fat... is one of the best ways to eat them.

[weezieduzzit]

Shredded and sauteed with diced bacon (start the bacon first, add shredded sprouts when 3/4 done,) finished with a drizzle of good balsamic does the trick for me. I was really sad to send the whole container of leftovers to work with the man this morning.... good thing I have a half a stalk of brussels and a few slices of bacon left!

I've converted a few people this way, I think a halved sprout is just a little too much at one time for someone that isn't crazy about them or is new to them. Shredded and mixed with bacon and balsamic makes it more of a green almost. Different texture.

[aching]

I made Brussels sprouts Momofuku-style this weekend (http://www.thetarttart.com/2012/11/br...) to rave reviews. The only thing was, I used 2 lbs. of Brussels sprouts as called for but found that half of the dressing was plenty - so now I'm going to make it again to use up the other half of the dressing! This is one of those dishes that you could eat standing up in the kitchen the minute you make it - you almost don't want to share it with your guests, it's that good.

[weezieduzzit]

That looks nice... but do you think it would still work without the sugar? I'm off sugar and don't use artificial sweeteners so I'd need to omit it completely.

[aching]

I think it would work, but it would obviously be different. If I were to omit the sugar I might add something else to add another flavor note, like rice vinegar.

[relizabeth]

I used to roast brussel sprouts or sauté them shredded. now we ONLY momofuku brussel sprouts. they are delicious.

[appycamper]

i just made a batch for supper and am very happy with the result. browned 1/4 lb. italian sausage and removed from pan, deglazed with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. added 1 pint halved sprouts and semi covered until liquid was gone. added a tablespoon of butter and the cooked sausage and caramelized the sprouts and stirred in 1/4 cup cream.

stovetop recipe and delicious.

[babbabooey]

bacon and shallots....yum.

[bear]

Yup...yum.

[babbabooey]

also amazing with almonds

[middydd]

Mustard butter is perfect with brussels sprouts.

Recipe here, scroll down.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/...

[mdzehnder]

I slice them in half and boil till al dente (can you use that term in reference to brussel sprouts?) then drain. Melt some butter in a cast iron pan (don't skimp) bloom a spoonful of capers, stir, then put cut side down and allow to caramelize. Usually I also sprinkle with some lemon juice and sometimes even a bit of balsamic. I've had many people tell me "I always hated, or, was always afraid to try" brussel sprouts, but after this....

[mickeygee]

If you want to go really nutty, I love this recipe from epicurious. I've done it where the ratio of sprouts to pasta is really high, or if you're trying to get him into it, you can start low. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo.... Of course, adding bacon/pancetta would be a fabulous addition.

[woodleyparkhound]

I've made this many times to major accolades. The first time it was served to me it was a revelation! I love it for two reasons. It tastes GREAT and it's relatively healthy.

1. Trim and halve the long way 1 1/2 lbs. of b. sprouts - cook in boiling water 3 mins. and drain.
2. Cook 1/4 c. (or more) of chopped prosciutto -- I have also used pancetta which works too -- bacon is my 3rd choice -- in a non-stick skillet till crisp (7 mins. or so). Remove and set aside.
3. Heat pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Saute b. sprouts 3 mins. or till lightly browned. Add 1 T. butter, salt, pepper and stir. Remove from heat - sprinkle with 1 T. lemon juice (this is key!). Add prociutto/pancetta/bacon and toss.

[JungMann]

Pan roast brussels sprouts with bacon grease, thyme and garlic
Sprouts with apples, pistachios and creme fraiche (http://alexandracooks.blogspot.com/20...)

[nomadchowwoman]

ok, just added the sprouts-apple combo to the soon-to-cook list. Thx!

[Gio]

My new favorite way to serve Brussel sprouts:
Steamed small or halved Brussel sprouts then tossed in a tangy horseradish cream sauce:

1 cup fat free organic yogurt OR light sour cream
1/4 cup jarred prepared horseradish OR grated fresh horseradish
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t white wine vinegar
1/4 t kosher salt
1/2 t cayenne
freshly ground black pepper

[nomadchowwoman]

Great idea; I'll have to try these next time. I love BS all kinds of ways, but DH prefers creamy preparations. And we both love horseradish.

[mmalmad]

My SO was Brussels Sprout hater, I have made it 2 ways to convert here, 1) cut in 1/2, drizzel
with olive oil, and roast, after about 15 min cover with Parmesan and continue roasting till golden. 2 Thinly slice and caramelize shallots, then add thinly sliced sprouts and garic, cook until all are carmelized

[lynnlato]

I'm a huge fan of brussel sprouts and this preparation converted my husband and kids:

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS W/ BACON AND SHERRY MAPLE VINAIGRETTE

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet in the oven. Cut sprouts into thirds, toss in olive oil and s&p. Add sprouts to heated skillet and roast for a few minutes until brown in spots, stirring a couple of times - maybe 7 mins. Remove from oven and toss in a sherry vinaigrette w/ a splash of real maple syrup. Add chopped, cooked bacon. Eat!
Alternately you can toss the sprouts in rendered bacon fat instead of the olive oil - yum!!!

[lexpatti]

my son makes a fantastic shredded brussel sprout salad with a brown butter/lemon dressing with a good amount of parm or Pecorino Romano. I can't find the recipe but this looks similar (although he definately added the lemon juice to browned butter before tossing it with the shredded sprouts) - I like the walnut addition (his didn't have it)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[bear]

You can also shred them in the food processor after trimming the ends. Then cook some chopped bacon until crisp, remove, and soften some onion, shallot, and/or garlic in reserved bacon fat. Add the shredded sprouts and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until lightly carmelized,. Season to taste with salt and pepper and put the crisp bacon on top. Simple and delicious, and the sprouts cook very quickly when shredded.

[Becca Porter]

I have converted my mother-in-law and a 9 year old niece with cream braised bs from All About Braising. Just the smell with do it actually.

Cut bs in half. Cut the halves lengthwise into 1/2 inch wedges. Saute in 3 tablespoons butter until browned in spots, with salt and pepper. Add one cup of cream. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise about 20-30 minutes.

This is my kids very favorite dish. That is how delicious it is.

[Quine]

I also adore BS. The roasted with bacon is a great way to win over converts, As well is the cream braised, I like that with a touch of truffle oil.

Caraway is also nice with the bacon roasted.

[nomadchowwoman]

Definitely agree here. The cream-braised sprouts are sinful; they get all caramel-ly and delicious. My husband adores these.

I also make a sinfully caloric version in which I toss lightly steamed (or high-heat roasted) sprouts in heavy cream that has been infused w/lemon peel, then heated with butter until thicken. Lots of ground black pepper.

[appycamper]

after craving the sprouts after this discussion i split the difference and made a batch of them creamed with bacon.

crisp cooked 4 strips of bacon, set it aside, cooked halved sprouts in the fatuntil browned, then added 1/2 cup water and covered, steamed until tender and water gone. added a splash of cream and tossed. let it go for a minute until most of the cream was absorbed. topped with crumbled bacon.

oh my goodness!

[montrealwaitress]

I have two favourite recipes for Brussel sprouts and each one is a little bit sinful.

The first is this: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... - I've turned more than one brussel-hater onto them with this recipe. I think it's the butter.

The other sure-fire way to get anybody to eat them is to toss them in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and maple syrup and then roast. The sweetness of the maple syrup and the bitterness of the sprouts make for a perfect match.

[lynnlato]

Agreed about the BS's and the maple syrup. A local chef turned me on to this "winning combination" and my whole family is a fan. Of course, we add bacon too. :-)

[appycamper]

one of my faves too. my husband tolerates them when i don't make them too often. or i make them for me and something else as well.

small h and StheJ are right. roast and add bacon ;-) when i roast them i blanch them first. then olive oil, a bit of bacon fat, sea salt and pepper and into the oven until caramelized and fork tender. crumble bacon when they're done. it can also help to make a medley with a sweeter veg like carrots or butternut squash.

[Robinez]

Yes,Bacon! His love of bacon will definately help.

I am assuming that I should cook a few pieces of bacon and toss the sprouts in the oil/bacon drippings,with seasoning, then roast til tender.Sounds delish.I might add a bit of garlic.

What temp do you reccomend?

[StheJ]

I would saute the bacon for about 5/7 minutes and put it off to the side covered, then pour some or all of the fat into a roasting pan with the sprouts and some crushed garlic cloves (maybe 3 or 4 or 5 cloves depending), salt and pepper (you could also throw in some white wine or chicken stock if you want) and then roast for 30 minutes at 350 before adding the bacon to the pan and cooking until the bacon is done and the sprouts are tender/browned, maybe another 15 minutes...

[appycamper]

woo hoo! always happy to find fellow sprout lovers. yes just blanche in boiling water. shock in ice water. drain and pat dry. toss in the oil and a tablespoon or two of the bacon grease. hold the cooked bacon to crumble over them when they're done.

single layer on the pan. 375 to 400 degree oven.

[Robinez]

Just wanted to thank everyone.

I went with appycamper's recipe.Yummy.

Also,thanks a bunch for the tip concerning the metal pan! I was prepared to use a glass baking dish until I saw the post(s).

They tasted wonderful.Thanks again.I grabbed one with a fork right out of the oven and probably could have kept doing that if they weren't needed for supper :-)

TC,Robin

[appycamper]

glad you liked! and did dear husband venture to try or are all brussels sprouts yours?

[StheJ]

One word: Bacon.

[jpc8015]

I agree.

Brown up some bacon, remove the bacon from the pan and sautu your sprouts in the rendered bacon fat. Put the bacon back in the pan right before you serve.

Mmmmm...........

[southernitalian]

I prefer bacon and blue cheese on my Barbie Cabbage.

[harryharry]

Barbie Cabbage....love it!

[sandylc]

Barbie Cabbage!!! My hubby didn't get it, though....ha.

[CreativeFoodie42]

Ditto on the bacon. I'd also add some shallots to the mix.

[armagnac]

Yes! jpc8015's recipe is very much like what a favorite restaurant does with sprouts, and I've started to do now and then. You wouldn't recognize the sprouts.

[tiffeecanoe]

Yes, bacon. I'll do diced pancetta. I halve my sprouts and pan roast them with bacon drippings and butter. Add a little minced garlic and the bacon back to the pan when just about finished. YUM. My husband also thought he hated brussel sprouts, now, he'll pretty much eat them any way! Yay.

[goodhealthgourmet]

you've come to the right place!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/280343
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/672582
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/568702
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/672582
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/572006
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/573103
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/566568
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/571386
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/592298

[small h]

If you toss the sprouts in olive oil and sea salt and roast them 'til the outer leaves brown, they taste pretty good. You can also shred and stir-fry them with garlic and a little lemon juice. Steaming them brings out their cabbage-ness, and many people are anti-cabbage.

[kaysyrahsyrah]

I convert more non-believers with roasted brussels. Metal pan (not glass). 400 degrees. a few pats of butter per pound of brussels max. Take an additional step though: cut them in half, chop the bottoms, and peel off the first few layers. It's a labor of love, but this takes out the cabbagey-flavors.

[CocoaNut]

+1 for roasted brussels! Crispy on the outside and soft/almost creamy on the inside. I wouldn't cut them in half, use small ones, do remove the outer leaves, trim the stem and cut a shallow "X" at the stem base to assist in thorough cooking. I just use olive oil, salt and pepper. mmmmmmmm..........

For best texture, eat as soon as you can from out of the oven.

[annomy]

+2 for roasting, though I cut in half unless small. Sometimes add garlic, too, as I do to everything. Converted my husband to the point where he chose them over green beans for my contribution to Thanksgiving this year. Though, honestly, it's not saying much, as he's really not a fan of green beans!

[marcreichman]

Man, that metal pan is critical! I've learned the hard way while trying to show others how amazing they can be, at their houses with only glass. At home it's metal all the way. Bottoms trimmed, sliced in half, drizzle the whole mess with a little (not a lot) of olive oil, and the heavy pinches of salt and pepper and in at 425 for 10-15!

[bear]

Ha, wish I had used a metal pan for my roasted fish on potatoes and onions last night. Cooked forever in a ceramic dish to get some browning before placing the fish on top, and finally gave up. The dish was still good, but I was going for some carmelized onions/browned potatoes and it wasn't happening.

I'll use metal with the sprouts...learned my lesson.

[decolady]

Another one for roasted Brussels sprouts. We'd been married over 20 years with spouse not eating them until the first time I roasted them. Now he is a huge fan whenever I make them that way. Metal pan. Toss with olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. I remove the outer leaves and trim the stem when prepping them. Delish!

[yumyumyogi]

Finish off roasted sprouts with grated Parmesan and a good squeeze of lemon. When I feel like it, I add a little drizzle of maple syrup when roasting. They're also good acidic with big squeeze of lime and pistachios.