How to Cook Brussels Sprouts?

"Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes." - Harry Emerson Fosdick

With the Christmas holidays coming, this is the time for brussels sprouts. One of the must have sides with roast turkey. However, not many people can appreciate brussel sprouts because of their bitter taste. However, when they are carefully cooked, Brussels sprouts can be sweet. In addition to the mustard overtones, they have an intriguing earthy flavor. On top of that, they are absolutely gorgeous, with buttery yellow inner leaves contrasting the forest green outer ones.

photo: sprouts on stalk, Farmers' Market (State College, 2007)

Unfortunately, they frequently don’t get the care they deserve. Not only do Brussels sprouts develop that distinctive smell when overcooked, but their colors fade to a uniform share of olive drab.

Brussels sprouts are high in chemical compounds that produce hydrogen sulfide when exposed to heat for a sufficient amount of time. Thus, overcooking is the bane of Brussels sprouts (and cabbages, broccolis, and cauliflowers, which also belong to the Brassica family).

Overcooking is a particular problem with Brussels sprouts because most people don’t cook them often enough to gain experience with them. And because they’re such dense little cabbages, even good cooks sometimes feel the need to overcook them to tenderize them.

How to treat the Brussels sprout with respect?

Start by shopping for the smallest sprouts you can find. These will cook the fastest and have the sweetest flavor. When you’re getting them ready for cooking, be sure to remove any dark or damaged outer leaves and trim away the dark, dried-out base of each sprout. Cut an X through the base ¼ to ½ inch deep, depending on the size of the sprout. This will allow heat to penetrate to the heart (where the offending chemical are concentrated) but still hold the sprout together so you don’t wind up with a lot of loose leaves.

photo: farmers' market, state college.
When you cook the sprouts, never cook them for more than 7 minutes during the initial heating. After that, you can actually smell the change from sweet cabbage to sulfur begins. If you would rather blanch the sprouts in boiling water, make sure there is plenty of it, to dilute any acids given off during cooking.

Reflection:

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

Source: How to Pick a Peach