Raw Brussels Sprouts - © bonnieplants.com

Brussels Sprouts: Xmas Dinner Orphan Or Golden Child?

You either love them or hate them. There is no middle ground on Brussels sprouts. I’ve often wondered why Sprouts haters became Sprouts haters, and I recently canvassed some cook books to see if they could shed any light on the situation. Now, I’m prepared to turn the haters around…

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Roasted Brussels Sprouts - © crunchycreamysweet.comThere is no more-anticipated dish on the Festive Feast menu at our house than Brussel’s Sprouts. I guess all of us around our table grew up with them and always ate them the right way – smothered with Butter or Cheese Sauce, and cooked just until they’re fork tender, not mushy.

Three main issues

Three issues stand out among the comments and assertions I discovered in my cookbooks:

First, Mushy Sprouts are a turnoff to everyone, even Sprouts lovers. There’s absolutely no excuse for mushy Sprouts, as I’ll detail below.

Second, I will never let my Sprouts undergo the torture and humiliation of boiling, which is the most ‘popular’ cooking method applied to les petits choux. There are not one but several better ways.

Third, it’s totally alright to apply additional, complementary flavours to your Sprouts. And sauces are not the only option, here.

My recommendations

You should always remove the tough dark green outer leaves from your sprouts and cut them in  half lengthwise (unless they are very small).

I always use one of two methods to cook my Sprouts: Steaming or Baking. The results each are markedly different from those of the other. It depends on how you want to present your Sprouts at the table.

Steaming keeps the little darlin’s bright green and glowing. Their flavour is light, bright and fresh, not heavy and overly umamai, and all you need to dress them is a little Salt and Pepper, and Butter. You can, of course, add other flavours, but we’ll get to that later.

The other method I use is Baking or Roasting. Just toss the sprouts with enough Olive Oil to coat them evenly and sprinkle generously with Salt and Pepper. Spread them out in a single layer on a sheet pan or shallow casserole dish and bake at 400 F until they are just fork tender. I usually add some fresh ground Nutmeg just before serving to smooth the rich, roasted flavour. You’ll find your Sprouts come out with a rich, brown roasted colour and super-enhanced umamai flavour. (See picture above, left.)

Pan Frying is a very French approach to Sprouts. Just be sure to keep the heat down to medium or medium low to ensure you get them cooked through before they burn on the outside. The result is similar to oven Baking.

None of the above methods will produce that ugly, unwanted ‘skunky’ flavour and aroma that Sprouts and Cabbage haters complain about.

Complementary flavours

I’ve already mentioned Nutmeg in connection with Sprouts. It’s a great complement to Sprouts, Cabbage or any of the Cruciferous Veggies.

Other spices and herbs I’ve seen used include Sweet Paprika and Rosemary.

One recipe I saw for Roasted Sprouts calls for them to be marinated for an hour before going into the oven, in a mixture of Worcestershire Sauce, Lemon Juice and Olive Oil. Talk about umami!

If you want to get Wine into the game as a Marinade, stick to the driest of the Dry Reds, like you’d use in a Steak Marinade.

Whatever you do, stay away from sweet flavour additions. Sweet of any description is just wrong for any of the Cruciferous Vegies. The flavour you get is indescribably ‘skunky’.

Traditionally, folks fall back on Butter Sauce or Cheese Sauce to ‘help out’ the flavour of Sprouts. Plain old Butter (and a squeeze of Lemon Juice) is all you need, unless you want to have a Cheese Sauce, in which case, you can choose your Cheese – mild or strong flavoured – to suit your taste. I usually make up a quick Cheddar Sauce, fairly thin, so it coats the Sprouts but doesn’t totally overwhelm the bite.

So, fear not!

Go boldly where no sprout in your kitchen has gone before! Try Sprouts any of my ways for your Christmas or New Year’s Feast this year – and make some Sprouts haters into lovers!

~ Maggie J.