January 17, 2014 by · 51 Comments
Our family has long been a fan of the often maligned, little brussel sprout! I remember how my kids when they were just little, would beg me to make brussel sprouts for all of those special meals. Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Easter and Christmas; really??…what kids want brussel sprouts for their birthday dinner…lol.
When I began cooking brussel sprouts I knew very little about them, in fact, I am certain the first time we had them, they were frozen and from a bag. I guess I must have spied them in the frozen grocery section and decided they would be a nice change from peas! (I have not had good luck with the frozen version and prefer fresh.)
Did you know that brussel sprouts are actually the edible buds found on thestalk of the brussels sprout plant? I have only seen them in the form below at the Farmer’s Market. I usually buy them bulk in the produce aisle of the supermarket or in a bag from Costco.
{Photo attribution:Captmondo (CC)}
I wasn’t sure what to do with this somewhat foreign (to me) vegetable so I just followed the directions on the bag and either steamed or boiled them, with less than stellar results. Cooked either of these ways, I found them to be rather bland with a strong cabbage-like taste. But, they were a change from the regular vegetables, and for some unknown reason, my kids just loved them.
Over the years, my daughter and I have often experimented with the cooking of this vegetable and have finally come up with a winning recipe. My daughter, Shannon, is actually the author of this delicious recipe for Caramelized Brussel Sprouts. As much as I would like to claim this recipe and the accompanying photos as mine, they are all hers.
How to Cook Brussel Sprouts
When time permits, I have always found itmuch simpler to prepare a dish when you gather your ingredients and do all the prep work before beginning to cook. You may have heard French chefs refer to this process as,“mise en place” or “put in place”.
Caramelizing the shallots. If you don’t have shallots you could use a red or white onion, however, the onion flavour will be a bit stronger.
The brussel sprouts are beginning to caramelize, this process makes them taste a bit sweeter.
The tasty finished product!
How to Cook Brussel Sprouts (w/Recipe}
Ingredients
- 1½ - 2 pounds brussel sprouts
- 5 slices bacon, diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 shallot, diced
- ⅓ cup hot water (if needed)
- juice from ½ lemon
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and remove the outer leaves from brussel sprouts, trim stem end and cut in half. If brussel sprout is smaller, you can leave whole & just cut an X in the bottom to allow heat to penetrate.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until evenly browned, remove bacon from skillet, drain excess grease leaving a couple tablespoons of grease behind.
- Stir butter and olive oil into the bacon grease, add shallots and cook until translucent.
- Add the halved brussel sprouts and pan fry, stirring frequently until the brussel sprouts are golden and tender, yet still slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them or they will taste bitter. Add ⅓ cup hot water if pan is getting dry and sprouts aren't cooking).
- To re-heat bacon, add it back to the pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Squeeze lemon juice over cooked brussel sprouts and season with salt and pepper.
If you have never had them, I hope you will give the little brussel sprout a try, they are actually quite delicious and a different taste from our regular green vegetables.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask and I or my daughter will do our best to answer them.
Do you like to eat brussel sprouts? Do your kids like them?
How do you cook them?
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FAQs
The sweetness works with the bitterness, and the sugar helps to caramelize the sprouts and bring out their own sweetness. A bit of brown sugar will also work. Acid can be useful as well. A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts.
How do you know if brussel sprouts are too old? ›
If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).
Why do you soak brussel sprouts before cooking? ›
It turns out that giving Brussels sprouts a good soak can help them to cook evenly throughout. Not only will the sprouts have a better texture after being soaked, but you won't have to choose between burning the outside and undercooking the inside.
Is it better to parboil brussel sprouts before roasting? ›
Beyond bitterness, parboiling your sprouts can speed up cooking times, softening the leaves to tender, right down to their core (without turning them to mush) and making it easy for you to focus on perfectly crispy and caramelized sprouts in less time in the oven, sauté pan, or out on the grill.
What makes brussel sprouts taste good? ›
Be sure to start with a hot oven to help the sprouts crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Brown is good. If you've never cooked Brussels sprouts this way, at first glance you may think it looks burnt out of the oven, but once you taste it, you'll know those little “burnt” areas are the best tasting parts!
Are old brussel sprouts bitter? ›
Long storage. Fresh, brussels sprouts that are in season will taste better. That's because they lose sugar the longer they are stored, often making them taste more bitter as a result. Look for sprouts that have green leaves, as yellow is a sign they are old.
Can you use old Brussels sprouts? ›
Throw out fresh brussel sprouts that have a foul odor, yellow or wilted leaves, a mushy or slimy texture, or dark spots. Use fresh brussel sprouts within 1–2 weeks of getting them. Store the brussel sprouts in a plastic bag inside your fridge, and wash them before cooking them.
Can you eat old sprouts? ›
Buy/consume only fresh sprouts that are kept refrigerated. Do not buy/consume sprouts that are limp, slimy, moldy or have an off odor. Keep sprouts refrigerated at 40°F or below. Store sprouts in clean containers.
How do you revive brussel sprouts? ›
We found that the best way to revive these kinds of vegetables was to trim their stalks or stems on the bias and stand them up in a container of cold water in the refrigerator for about an hour. This exposes as many of their moisture-wicking capillaries as possible to water.
Should you cut brussel sprouts in half before cooking? ›
One of the most common ways to cut a Brussels sprout is in half or quarters. By doing so, you reduce the size of the sprouts, speeding up cooking.
If you want your roasted Brussels sprouts to be seriously crispy, you need to crank up the heat. Roasting at a low temperature won't allow them to brown properly, so you want to get that oven nice and hot before tossing in your baking sheet. Follow this tip: Roast Brussels sprouts at a minimum of 400°F.
Are brussel sprouts better steamed or boiled? ›
Steaming Brussels sprouts preserves more of the nutrients and antioxidants than any other cooking method. And they turn out tasting like crisp-tender, sweet little nuggets. Plus they're just about the quickest veggie side dish you can cook.
Why not to boil brussel sprouts? ›
Steaming and boiling use moist heat, and moist heat can make Brussel Sprouts mushy and stinky—not a good combo. Give them the treatment they deserve by roasting them instead.
How long do I boil Brussels sprouts? ›
Method. Tip the brussels sprouts into a pan and add a couple of cm water and a pinch of salt – a large pan works better so they're not piled up too high. Cover and bring the water to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 3- 5 mins depending on size.
Who made brussel sprouts less bitter? ›
A Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn, who worked at a seed and chemical company, figured out exactly which chemical compounds in Brussels sprouts made them bitter. The next step was to plant sprouts with the least amount of these chemicals and eventually cross-pollinate the chemicals out.
Have brussel sprouts been bred to be less bitter? ›
He selected seed varieties with lower levels of the bitter chemicals and bred new high-yielding varieties that tasted less bitter. And better-tasting brussels sprouts are good, not only for our appetites but also because most of us aren't eating enough vegetables.
When did Brussels sprouts stop being bitter? ›
In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.
How do you reduce bitterness in vegetables? ›
The foods that help reduce bitterness are:
- Salt while cooking and/or while eating (like on bitter salad greens)
- Sweet or Spicy.
- Sour or Acids like lemon or vinegar.
- Long cooking like braising (think southern collard greens that are cooked for hours)
- Blanch first.
