But enough of the history, and let me redeem this green delicacy, which, in my opinion, has been totally misunderstood. I was just ho-hum about the sprouts until a few years ago when I was served roasted Brussels sprouts in olive oil. Now I am hooked.
Since they have just a tinge of a bitter taste, I add a little brown sugar to balance the flavor. I also recommend adding pecans or almonds to the mix. To prepare Brussels sprouts, it is best to remove the first layer of leaves, rinse in cold water, and cut off the brown ends.
Brussels Sprouts With Onions and Toasted Almonds
1/2 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium sweet onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the sprouts for 3 minutes.
Drain and immediately put in ice water. When cool, cut in half.
In small sauté pan, add oil and cook almonds for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat butter in a medium sauté pan and caramelize onion on low heat about 10 minutes.
Add sprouts, salt, pepper, and brown sugar and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put in bowl or serving platter and top with almonds.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, brown ends trimmed, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup whole almonds
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix sprouts and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Put sprouts on cookie sheet and cook for 30 minutes in oven. Occasionally shake pan for even coloring of sprouts.
Mix almonds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. For the last 15 minutes of cooking, add almonds to sprouts.
Add more salt and pepper to taste, before serving.
Brussels Sprouts With Apples
2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts (cut in half after cooking)
1/2 cup of butter
2 pounds cooking apples (green), sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnut pieces
Boil sprouts for 7 minutes.
In large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add sliced apples and cinnamon, and sauté until apples are fork tender, about 7 minutes.
Add cooked Brussels sprouts to sautéed apples and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to sauté Brussels sprouts and apples until Brussels sprouts are heated through.
Garnish with toasted pecans or walnuts and serve.
—Adrienne Meier, Ocean Mist Farms
Shredded Brussels Sprouts
3 pounds Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup butter
8 sage leaves
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut Brussels sprouts in half, and with a sharp knife, thinly shred each sprout half.
In large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and add fresh sage leaves. Cook butter and sage until the butter begins to turn a light golden color (sage will become crispy).
Add shredded Brussels sprouts to pan and sauté until sprouts are tender (about 7 minutes).
Take off heat and add crumbled bacon and pecans to Brussels sprouts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
—Adrienne Meier, Ocean Mist Farms
