I wouldn’t have eaten a sprout on a dare as a kid
- Scott Daniels: We Ate Well and Cheaply
- December 9, 2023
- 767
My favorite vegetables, when I remember to eat veggies at all, are Brussels sprouts. This has not always been the case; I wouldn’t have eaten a sprout on a dare as a kid. I thought I didn’t like them, but in reality I didn’t like how they were served.
As I’ve mentioned before, mom had a full time factory job and the convenience of pre-prepared foods trumped everything else. All the vegetables we had when I was a kid were canned or frozen, and the Brussels sprouts we had were in those boiling bags already in some kind of gummy white cheese sauce. Some things, like peas and spinach, are fine if purchased frozen and without sauce. But I find that sprouts just don’t freeze and cook very well.
It first dawned on me it might be worth the trouble of getting fresh vegetables when I saw Julia Child showing how to prepare Brussels sprouts by cutting a cross into the stem end to enable quicker, even cooking. That’s how I had them for some time after—just blanched until tender and swirled with butter.
Sprouts have become something of a celebrity ingredient these days, and there are many great ways to cook them, often with dried fruit, some nuts and a honey balsamic glaze. They are so popular now that farmers are having trouble keeping up with demand.
Their popularity is in part due to grower’s efforts to reduce their natural bitterness, which you may remember from childhood. They simply taste better now than when you were a kid and hated them.
The change began in the 1990s, when the offending bitter glucosinolates were identified in the Netherlands. A search of extensive older seed varieties turned up less bitter types, which have become the norm in grocery stores today. That bitterness is the plant’s way of not being very appetizing to animals, a strategy humans have clearly derailed.
This is a recipe for charred sprouts, which adds another layer of flavor. You can make browned butter in larger amounts and store it in the fridge. Use it in everything from sauces like this to pancake batter. Sprouts like this make a good side for holiday meals, and you can Christmas it up by adding strips of charred red bell pepper.
CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BROWNED BUTTER VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 & 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed of discolored leaves and halved lengthwise
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter
Start by browning the butter: in a saucepan over medium heat, melt and then cook the butter, allowing the milk solids to brown but not burn, until the butter smells nutty, about six minutes. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sprouts, cut side down, in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed for about five minutes, until they begin to brown. Give the pan a good shake and transfer to the hot oven, baking until they’ve gained a good color and are tender, about ten minutes.
Add the vinegar, olive oil, shallot, sugar, thyme and browned butter to a glass jar. Season with salt and pepper and give the jar a good shake to combine everything. Pour over the sprouts, toss to coat and serve.
Recipe: “Food Between Friends,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Julie Tanous