Monday, December 26, 2011

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Can you really tell me these don't look good?


I may be one of the rare ones.  I like Brussels sprouts and I like broccoli.  But I know many people, primarily but not totally men, who claim to hate both of them.

SWMBO roasted some Brussels sprouts last night to go with our Christmas ham and sweet potatoes.  She said she was going to go with a recipe she saw Gordon Ramsey prepare on television.  Simple: salt, pepper and olive oil.  They were delicious though maybe a bit firm.

I looked for recipes for them on the Web this morning and found many variations, some of them Ramsey's.  Pancetta or smoky bacon, chestnuts, balsamic vinegar, lemon, Parmesan cheese . . . all of them can be used to kick the sprouts up a notch, as another television chef says.  One chef says to start them cut side down in a very hot black iron skillet, then put it under the broiler for a few minutes.  She said the extreme heat is the way to successfully roast them.

Wikipedia also says Brussels sprouts are reputed to have anti-cancer properties but that these virtually disappear if one boils the sprouts.  That fits with SWMBO's mother's advice about cooking vegetables of all kinds: if you boil them, most of the vitamins disappear when you drain them.

In a television appearance on the Regis Philbin show a few years ago Ramsey prepared Brussels sprouts.  Philbin commented "I don't like Brussels sprouts."

Ramsey responded, "But you haven't tasted them yet.  How can you say that?  At least give me a chance to let you taste something different."

Later, the show's co-host Kelly Ripa told Ramsey "this is the longest I've heard you go without using the F-word."

Let it be established right here that the SWMBO prepared the entire dinner, including the Brussels sprouts, last night without using the F-word either.  I think.

One point of clarification.  The photo above came from the Web.  I was too busy eating to snap a picture of SWMBO's sprouts.

6 comments:

  1. I love Brussel sprouts, can't get enough of them and I particularly like them roasted. Surprisingly to many, I don't care for sweet potatoes.

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  2. Those look sooooo good! Now I have to make some of those.

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  3. I'm one of those guys who can't stomach Brussels sprouts (they make me say the F-word), but I'm fine with broccoli. And sweet potatoes....love 'em! ;)

    S

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  4. I've taken to "steaming" sprouts. Just a shot of water in the bottom of a corning ware or microwave dish, then douse the sprouts with olive oil, pinch of salt, dash of cayenne (or more than a dash if you wish) and a couple of pinches of herbs of the provence, or something similar. Cover, put into the microwave
    for 5-9 minutes--depending on size of sprouts and your desired tenderness-also a good way to enjoy them.

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  5. Wow, Tom, I can't imagine nuking anything for 5 to 9 minutes. I wonder what power you use. And do you cut them in half or do them whole?

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