Brussels sprouts cooked perfectly on stove top ruby green, sweet, slightly crunchy on the outside and buttery, nutty flavor on the inside.
A popular neutral leafy green side dish served with rich fatty food for holidays like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, July 4 th or Labor Day parties. But most people detest the taste of Brussels sprouts and refuse to try. Here are some helpful guidelines to get the best ones and cook it right.
I have served it here with a cottage pie you can try my Fish pie and Pickled red onion .
How to buy good Brussels sprouts ?
Pick fresh sprouts that have closed leaves, plump bright green, heavy for its size. Avoid the ones with blemishes or yellowing shriveled leaves.
Shape : Choose more round ones as opposed to the elongated / oval ones
Size : Yes size matters here. Choose medium to small sized sprouts only do not buy large bulbs. Smaller ones have the leaves tightly packed larger ones are woody, fibrous and bitter . In my opinion smallest ones tastes sweet and nutty.
Secrets of getting perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts is :
Bitterness : Most of the bitterness is believed to be concentrated in the center of the Brussels sprouts hence cutting them into half and letting the center come on contact with high heat eliminates most of unpleasant taste.
Cooking : Do not crowd the pan make sure each half touches the bottom of the pan.
- Brussels sprouts is a finicky vegetable that tastes better with steam and less on caramelization.
Flavor : While cooking the trick is to get the caramelization first then reduce heat then let the steam cook it so it turns soft, tender and juicy inside.
- After cooking do not leave the sprouts in the pan. This will further cook from the residual heat and turn it dry or mushy. So immediately remove into serving dish and loosely cover.
- Avoid cast iron pan as it is too much heat for the veggie to withstand. Caramelization can quickly turn to burnt bitterness.
Brussels sprouts
Equipment
- Stove top cooking
INGREDIENTS :
- 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
- 2-3 tsp Olive oil
- Salt (Use sea salt for better taste ) – as per taste
- Pepper powder (freshly crushed) – as per taste
- Water – to sprinkle
INSTRUCTIONS :
- 1.Remove the thick outer leaf (if required) of the brussels sprouts, trim the woody brown stem end a little bit and wash them thoroughly. Cut it into half.
- Heat a wide mouthed non stick pan on medium heat add olive oil , swirl the pan to coat evenly. Place the brussels sprouts with cut side down .
- After around 5 minutes it gets steamed and caramelize, sprinkle some salt and pepper evenly, sprinkle some water cover and cook for another five minutes.
- Saute if required for a minute only.That is all. Do not let it over cook and turn wilted and mushy.Let it have some crunch while you eat it.
- Remove from heat immediately to stop further cooking and serve it warm as a side dish (instead of salad) with steak, baked fish, chicken etc.or cottage pie as seen in pic.
Video
NOTES :
Hope you like the Brussels sprouts recipe and will give this a try. Enjoy pure taste of a veggie this way.
Meena