Not Your Mother's Brussels Sprouts

Steph got some amazing Brussels sprouts at the farmers' market the other day. Even the compost bucket was made beautiful by them. (Note the purple veins in the leaves and the stalk they came on.)



We had them tonight with some leftover chicken meat gently reheated in a cup or so of of dark pan deglazing, orzo, and some crusty bread from Black Crow Bakery. The sprouts were perfectly sweet and nutty, with just the right springy but yielding texture - absolutely head and shoulders above the usual dodgy supermarket version. Tristan - who at the beginning of the meal claimed not to like Brussels sprouts - had seconds. So did Steph and I.

My standard method for sprouts - which I think came originally from Julia Child - is as follows:

Cut off the bottoms of the sprouts if darkened or dirty. Obviously you don't need to do this if you're plucking them right from the stalk. Remove any loose or buggy outer leaves. If they are large, cut the sprouts in half. You want to end up with even sized pieces for even cooking. Par-cook them in a large saucepan full of vigorously boiling water, until easily pierced with a fork but still bright-green and fresh smelling. Check every 30 seconds, as they can get away from you easily, and no one likes an overcooked Brussels sprout. Immediately plunge into several changes of very cold water to stop all cooking. See photo of sprouts in strainer to get an idea of the color you are shooting for. Set aside.



Five minutes before ready to serve, toss sprouts gently in a skillet over moderate heat with a generous amount of butter, until just heated through. Off heat, squeeze half a lemon over them and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve immediately on warm plates.