Don’t EVER boil your brussel sprouts. Boiling them releases their demons and you are left with a slimy, stinky disgusting thing that conjures up visions of your youth and trama of seeing a brussel sprout on your plate. No …. read on.
Thanks to people like Alton Brown and Ina Garten, I have recently fallen in love with Brussel Sprouts. They are AMAZINGLY good for you. Look at the comparison below between Brussel Sprouts, Kale and Cabbage.
Brussel Sprouts really are from Brussels. They were brought to America from Thomas Jefferson. They were mostly raised in private gardens, but in the 40s (due to frozen food technology) were widely avail
At thier Peak: From Fall to early spring when the cold weather concentrates their natural sugars. Look for firm compact head with bright green leaves. Avoid soft or pudgy sprouts…Avoid yellow sprouts the green clorophyll has gone.
Alton Brown says that if you buy them on the stalks it means they still have a life support system. You can even cut off the bottom of the stems (like you do roses) … they’ll last for about 1 week. Just cut off what you need.
Store: Place in an OPEN plastic bag … in your crisper set to maximum humidity.
You MUST cook them in salt. BUT they have a called cinagrin. This is the nasty smelling compound you smell, but it is a cancer fighter. So …. your best bet is to cook them as quickly as possible in as little water as possible. DON’T boil them.
Alton’s recipe:
1 lb. of cleaned and prepared (watch video) brussel sprouts. (Use fresh sprouts)
add 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 kosher tspn. salt…saute for 5 minutes, no more.
I also like the way Ina Garten cooks them. Easy … she just roasts them. Ina’s recipe:
Preheat oven to 400. While it’s pre-heating…Wash your brussel sprouts. Cut the rough edges off the bottom. Toss them around in a bowl to which you’ve added some olive oil, salt, pepper (and I add garlic powder). Spread them out on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes. You could cut them in 1/2 or even 1/4 and reduce the roasting time so that they retain more of their “raw” benefits. I’ve roasted them for as little as 5 minutes and they are veeeeeeeeeery delicious. Go lightly on the oil as it does add lots of calories.
Alton Brown has a terrific video for everything you would ever want to know about Brussel Sprouts. It’s classic Alton Brown stuff. I just love his show.
