1,450 easy and fully explained recipes, with +66K photos and 78 videos

Brussels sprouts are very good

We are, as I write this, in the season of Brussels sprouts, a delicious vegetable that often suffers from a bad reputation, let's try to fix that.

6,717 4.7/5 (16 reviews)

Keywords for this post:Brussels sprouts Vegetables Cooking Preparation Raw

Last modified on: March 5^th 2022

For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend

Brussels sprouts are very good

Preparation

You have to start by recognizing that it's a bit long to prepare, it's not very big, but it requires a lot of handling before it's ready to cook, and you have to do it cabbage by cabbage.
Different methods are possible, but I always proceed this way:

choux de Bruxelles découpe de la base choux de Bruxelles retrait feuilles choux de Bruxelles découpe dans la hauteur

- First cut off the base a bit
- Then remove all the stained or spoiled leaves
- According to the size, cut in the height in 2 (small cabbages) or 4 (big)

- Do this for all the cabbages...

Once you have done this, the cabbage is ready to be cooked, there is hardly any need to wash it, the removed leaves will protect it efficiently.

CookingThis

is the problem that must be the cause of the bad reputation: the Brussels sprout must not be overcooked, otherwise it takes on a dull khaki-green color, and in addition it gives off unpleasant sulfurous odors.
This right cooking is true for all vegetables in general, but even more so for Brussels sprouts or others.
If you cook "à l'anglaise" (boiling salted water), the best indicator is the tip of a knife stuck in the heart, it forces => not enough cooked, it's tender => it's cooked, quickly stop, drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking.

choux de Bruxelles cuisson à l’anglaise

Well, there your cabbages are cooked, but you will reveal the flavours of it with a second cooking (of which I already spoke to you), by putting in a frying pan or saucepan on average fire a knob of butter or a spoon with soup of olive oil, then a chopped shallot, salt, one minute of cooking and you add the Brussels sprouts of the first cooking Cook for 2 or 3 minutes again and serve, it is ready as soon as it is hot enough.

This right cooking is in my opinion the best, taste and color are preserved, and it's really enjoying the Brussels sprouts in all their splendor.
But in some simmered recipes, like potée, you will have cabbage that has been cooked (very) long, so it has a dull color, but it is completely melting, it is another facet of the vegetable.

Raw

It is not very well known, but you can also eat raw Brussels sprouts, you just have to prepare them in the classical way, not to cut them but to pass them to the mandolin or to slice them finely with a knife in a salad bowl.
Add the zest of a lemon, the juice with the same amount of olive oil, salt, pepper, mix well and enjoy this delicious raw Brussels sprouts salad.

chou de Bruxelles crus en salade

Here is to finish a small challenge, or challenge, if you have children is to succeed in making them appreciate the Brussels sprouts.
But don't be fooled, if you go after the canteen, and its rata-cooked Brussels sprouts, it will be hard...

To sum up: You should not hesitate to take advantage of the season of Brussels sprouts, which can be eaten raw or cooked and in this case be very careful to cook them properly, especially not too long, to preserve color and taste.

Lasts posts

Your oven in "proofer" mode

In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...
September 27^th 20247375

The right size of zucchini

When you buy zucchini at the market, you're often offered a wide variety of sizes, from very small to very large. But which ones to choose? Here are a few tips.
September 9^th 20241,7235

The (small) miracle of béchamel sauce

Making a béchamel sauce is going to confront you with a little miracle that happens every time: You pour milk over a roux, it's very liquid, you stir over a low heat, and then all of a sudden, miracle, the sauce sets, it thickens, you've got your béchamel. Let's see what happened.
August 27^th 20242,2344

Pastry doughs

To make a classic tart, you'll need a pastry of course, and if you don't use puff pastry (normally reserved for "fine", in french, tarts), you'll have a choice of shortcrust, shortbread, sweetcrust or "à foncer". Let's take a look at the differences between these four.
August 16^th 20242,7114.4

A few tips on homemade ice cream

If you make ice cream at home, which is a very, very good idea, you'll find a few tips and tricks in this article that should make your life easier. Combined with the site's ice cream recipes, they'll help you improve your production, to the delight of everyone around you, children first.
August 11^th 20242,6855

See all posts Random post RSS feeds

Other pages you may also like

Is it really necessary to cream egg yolks?

Let’s try and answer a question that crops up in cookery and patisserie, even if it verges on the existential: do the egg yolks in a custard recipe really need to be beaten until pale, or not?
February 28^th 201838 K4.3

Different kinds of pastry and dough

When cooking in general, and particularly in baking, we can make and use many different kinds of pastry and dough. All built on the same "base": flour - a powder to which we add fat, liquid or both to produce the dough which is then cooked. .
November 6^th 2012106 K 14.0

Candied fruits: don't get ripped off

Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.
June 21^th 201756 K 24.2

The 3 essential knives

You must have heard a chef or cook say: "There’s no good cooking without good ingredients". This is very true, of course, but for any amateur or beginner it is equipment that really counts to start with. What I mean is that you should not skimp on kitchen equipment, good utensils, a food...
May 30^th 201820 K5

For well opened (puffed) cakes

It's always nice to have a well puffed up cake after baking, not only will it taste good but it looks great too. Let's see how to get this beautiful shape almost every time.
January 23^th 201928 K4.2