Searing the Brussels sprouts cooks them quickly, which develops nutty, sweet flavors instead of off, long-cooked cabbage aromas.
Using the fat from slab bacon to sear the sprouts adds smoky notes.
Ah, the Brussels sprout. Rich in sulfurous compounds known asglucosinolate, even the slightest bit of overcooking can cause these chemicals to break down, producing the foul-smelling odor of long-cooked cabbage. It's what I always imaginedCharlie Bucket's*house to smell like.Not pleasant.
At the same time as those sulfurous compounds are being released, the more desirable, distinctively sharp mustard-like compounds are being actively destroyed by an enzyme within the sprout. This enzyme isn't deactivated until around 180°F or so.
So in order to get the best flavor of your sprouts,your goal is to cook them as fast as possible. One way to do this is to plunge them into a large pot of rapidly boiling water. But I have a better suggestions:sear them.
Searing them in a ripping hot skillet not only heats them rapidly, it also chars the leaves a bit, developing the sort of rich, sweet, nutty flavors that only the best brassica-tinted dreams are made of.
Want an even better suggestion?Sear them in pork fat.Sweet, smoky bacon fat; sweet, nutty sprouts. What could be better?
Porcine Pleasures
When picking the appropriate pork product for your sprouts, anything fatty and cured will do, really. It's just a matter of personal taste. Here I'm using some slab bacon cut into large chunks that you can calllardonif you're fancy or French (or both). I just call it chunky bacon. Equally good (or maybe better) would beguanciale—salty cured pork jowl. I've done this with dry-cured Spanish chorizo as well, which may be my favorite fat to use. No matter what, before you start cooking the sprouts, you've got to render the fat out of the bacon.
You could try rendering the fat in a dry skillet, but air is a notoriously poor conductor of heat, which means that only the part of the bacon in direct contact with the pan is really heating up. Much better is to start with water in the skillet—just enough to cover the bacon. By blasting the heat, the water quickly evaporates, all the while heating the bacon and getting the rendering process started. By the time the water is all gone, enough fat will have melted out (I like to add a bit of extra vegetable or olive oil as extra insurance) that the bacon should be able to cook quickly and evenly, crisping up far better than it would on its own.
A Sprout With Clout
Once you've got your supply of rendered pork fat, it's time to cook the sprouts themselves. If you're doing an unusually large number, you can always jack up the oven to maximum temperature, toss the sprouts with the pork fat and roast them until charred, but I find it faster and easier to simply cook them in a hot skillet.
By splitting the sprouts in half, you increase their surface areaand give them a stable position to sit in while searing. This helps maximize the delicious charring that gives sprouts the nuttiness and charm to make them worth eating. If your sprouts are especially large, you may need to give them a quick par-cook by dropping them in a pot of boiling water until tender (just a couple minutes), then plunging them into an ice bath before splitting them in half.
"If you're feeling extra plucky, you can go for a full half-and-half bacon-to-sprout ratio. Trust me, you'll be popping them like scrumdiddlyumptious bars."
After they're charred in the bacon fat,I season them with plenty of salt and pepper (I don't like to do it before because I find the salt from the bacon fat penetrates the sprouts as they cook, making it hard to judge salt level), then toss them back together with the crisp bacon. If you're feeling extra plucky, you can go for a full half-and-half bacon-to-sprout ratio. Trust me, you'll be popping them like scrumdiddlyumptious bars.
The other great way to cook sprouts is to go the whole nine yards and shred them before charring. The rest of the procedure is pretty much the same. For tips on how to prep sprouts, watch ourknife skills video here.
*Quick trivia: Did you know that Peter Ostrum, the original Charlie Bucket from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is now a large animal vet in upstate New York?
Add bacon and olive oil to 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add enough water to barely cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to break up bacon. Allow water to completely evaporate, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring and tossing occasionally until bacon is crisp on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to fine mesh strainer set over large heat-proof bowl.
Toss sprouts in bowl with bacon fat until well coated. Wipe out skillet and add 1 teaspoon bacon fat. Heat over high heat until smoking. Add as many sprouts as fit in single layer face down to skillet and cook without moving until deeply charred, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on until second side is charred and sprouts are tender-crisp throughout, about 3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to serving bowl.
Repeat with remaining sprouts. Add rendered bacon to serving bowl and toss all to combine. Serve immediately.
The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.
Parboiling Brussels sprouts before frying is a good technique to ensure they cook evenly and become tender on the inside while allowing for a crispy exterior when fried. It's not always necessary but we think it works here to create a soft middle and crisp exterior in the pan.
Brussels sprouts are versatile and can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. Raw Brussels sprouts are crunchy and slightly bitter, while cooking softens their texture and mellows their flavor. Roasting or sautéing Brussels sprouts caramelizes their natural sugars, resulting in a delicious and nutritious side dish.
Roast 'em! Our two rules: place and space! Place them cut side down to create that slightly crunchy exterior and soft interior. Space them out evenly so they don't steam–a crowded sheet pan party is not where your brussels want to be.
We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven. Follow this tip: For every 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of oil.
To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half. If your Brussels sprouts are very small, you can leave them whole (and if they are very large, quarter them).
Individual sprouts: Brussels sprouts sold by the pound are what you find most often at the market. They need to be trimmed of their dry ends and yellowed or damaged leaves before halving and cooking.
Rinse under cold running water to remove any dust or dirt. Use a small knife to remove the sprout tip, and then remove any leaves that have bad spots. Raw: Slice thinly and toss with other shredded vegetables like cabbage, carrots, or beets.
Prepare the vegetables: leave them whole or cut them in half if large, then blanch them in salted boiling water until crisp-tender (al dente), about 4 min. Drain well, then serve.
Steaming Brussels sprouts preserves more of the nutrients and antioxidants than any other cooking method. And they turn out tasting like crisp-tender, sweet little nuggets. Plus they're just about the quickest veggie side dish you can cook.
Meanwhile, prepare the sprouts by discarding any tough, coarse outer leaves. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the base of each sprout: this will enable the centre to cook without overdoing the outside. Add the sprouts to the pan of boiling water, cover and boil for 4-5 minutes until just tender.
If any of the leaves have brown spots or are yellowing, it's a sign of early spoilage. If you remove the blemished leaves and the interior looks OK, you can still use the sprout. However, if the interior leaves are also showing blemishes or yellowing, it's best to toss it (or compost it, if you can).
Roasting Brussels sprouts caramelizes their natural sugar and mellows out bitter notes, providing rich flavor and a crispier texture. Brussels sprouts are a good source of fiber and vitamins C and K, notes the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
For best results, cook sprouts until just tender, never mushy. Overcooking produces the offensive odor associated with Brussels sprouts. It's caused by the release of sulfur-containing compounds. Overcooking also causes them to turn a drab olive green.
Add leftover cooked Brussels sprouts to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Rewarm in the at 350 degrees F for 5 or so minutes, until heated through. You can also reheat them in the air fryer, or on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, though the texture will be soggier than if they are reheated in the oven.
How do you fix soggy garlic brussel sprouts? If you do find that you've overcooked your sprouts, you can easily make them crispy again! Just drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and make sure they are completely coated. Add a little bit of salt and pepper before you bake your roasted brussel sprouts with garlic.
The usual cause is poor soil, lack of growth and especially the use of non-hybrid cultivars. Only hybrid cultivars can be relied on to produce firm sprouts. Excessive nitrogen fertiliser is not implicated in loose sprout formation.
There's nothing wrong with soft and chewy Brussels, but if your goal is the type of crispy Brussels that they're serving at your favorite bistro you MUST thoroughly dry the surface of the sprouts before sautéing and/or roasting them. If they are wet they will steam instead of crisp.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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