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braised brussels sprouts
(omnivore)
recipe by m-c
what I was looking for
Margaret has become the apostle of brussels sprouts, using a simple, wildly flavorful recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Foods (pages 150-151). On a visit to Boston, I wanted to audition another recipe for inclusion in her brussels sprouts repertoire.
what I made
A variation on Alice Waters's braised savoy cabbage, from The Art of Simple Cooking, pages 296-297, using brussels sprouts instead of cabbage. (Alice has two brussels sprouts recipes, but bacon plays a leading role in both, and we were expecting vegan company.)
grades for my version
| healthy | A | Healthy goodness in every bite. |
| fast | B | Quick -- could be even quicker if you like your sprouts less cooked. |
| easy | A | Child's play. |
| cheap | A | Not a single expensive ingredient. |
| delicious | B | Good but not startlingly good. |
yield
Serves five adults and an open-minded sixteen-month-old.
equipment
a frypan with a lid
or
a pot with a lid
the sofrito
| ingredients | Alice scaled |
m-c | why? |
| olive oil | 2 Tablespoons | 1 Tablespoon | weight [1] |
| carrots | 1, peeled and diced small | 8 tiny, sliced and chopped | easier [2] |
| onion family | 1 onion, peeled and diced small | 1 shallot, peeled and diced small | tastier |
| celery | 1 stalk, diced small | 1 stalk, diced small | no change |
| bay leaf | 1 | --- | tastier [3] |
| herbs | 2 thyme sprigs | 8 marjoram sprigs | tastier [4] |
| garlic | 2 cloves, chopped | 2 cloves, chopped | no change |
| salt | to taste | to taste | no change |
| Notes | |||
| [1] | Olive oil is good for you, but half the amount has half the calories. | ||
| [2] | Teensie-weensie carrots are now standard issue in houses with toddlers -- what a great invention! | ||
| [3] | Tastier at Margaret's house, where bay leaf is not revered (as it is at mine). | ||
| [4] | Good though fresh thyme is with members of the cabbage family, fresh marjoram is, I feel, even better. | ||
or
Alice wants you to heat the oil over medium heat, then add the vegetables. I
put the oil in a
cold pan, add the vegetables, stir to lubricate all the vegetables, then put
the pan on a medium-high flame to heat up. I call this method
cold‑pan sautéing,
and I like it because it lets me use less oil and yet truly sauté the
vegetables.
Whichever method you use, let the vegetables sit over the flame undisturbed till they brown, stir them around to expose more cut surfaces to the heat and let them sit undisturbed again till they brown anew.
Stir in the marjoram, garlic, and salt. Let the mixture cook undisturbed till you can start to smell the garlic, about one minute.
the sprouts
| ingredients | Alice scaled |
m-c | why? |
| cabbage family | 1 large or 2 small savoy cabbages | 2 pint containers of brussels sprouts | an experiment |
| liquid | ½ cup of white wine plus ½ cup of chicken broth |
½ cup of chicken broth | no more was needed |
Meanwhile, quarter the sprouts if they're small or cut them into sixths or even eighths if they're large.
When the pot vegetables are browned and ready, stir the cut brussels sprouts in and let them cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, till you start to smell the sprouts. Stir them up and let them cook undisturbed for another 2-3 minutes.
Then add the chicken broth, put the lid on the pot, lower the flame, and leave the pot alone for 5 minutes. Check to be sure the liquid hasn't all evaporated and add a little more broth if needed. Check again at 5-minute intervals till the sprouts are done to your liking. I'm sure Margaret would have liked the spouts cooked 5 minutes less, and I could have had them cooked 5 minutes more. Cooking for oneself and other people often requires compromise.
When the sprouts are done, if there's any soupiness in the pot cook it away in a minute more with the top off.
what I'd do differently next time
I'd cook the sprouts five minutes less to try them Margaret's way. And I'd use the bay leaf.
Questions? Comments? Corrections?
Suggestions? Contributions?
Please let us know!
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