The Foodie Confessional: Brussels Sprouts
Forgive me, for I have sinned. I consider myself a very open minded person, who also happens to be a foodie & wine lover. Yet, up until my present age of 33 years and six months, I had never in my life eaten a Brussels Sprout.
Be honest; have you?
I must thank Stephen for his recent Brussels-sprout-palooza, which finally piqued my curiosity enough to try this much maligned winter veggie. The wiki page on B.sprouts is brief but mighty interesting. Some highlights:
- Brussels sprouts ranked as Britain's most hated vegetable in 2002; yet bounced back to #5 in 2005.
- When overcooked these stalk-grown veggies release sulphur, which has likely resulted in millions of painful/unpleasant sprout experiences (as an example of this, when the missues saw I was preparing the scourge of her youth for dinner, she promptly began making her own food - "I'm not eating Brussels sprouts" was her refrain).
- Taxonomically speaking, Brussels sprouts are part of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard and cabbage
This recipe was Stephen's sixth (!!) B.S. creation: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Apples and Onions
I did my level best to avoid overcooking these mini cabbage look-a-likes. And by, Jove, I did it. The sprouts flavor was decidedly unique & distinct: "bitter-nutty" with a slightly rubbery texture. And kudos to chef Stephen for pairing pungent mustard seeds, dijon mustard, tart apples, bacon and a dash of hot sauce to the sprouts.
On the wine front, I also enjoyed another first. I ate da sprouts with a northern Italian white wine made from the Kerner grape (wine review & description coming soon).
Take an evening this winter and come to terms with your sprout phobia. You'll be a better person for it.
As a kid I was over-served Brussel Sprouts (along with lima beans and well-done liver, which I still can't eat) but now love them roasted with butter and a little squeezed lemon. The best part is that most at the house dislike them, so I get more!
jens at cincinnati wine
Posted by: cincinnati wine warehouse | 03 December 2005 at 11:00 AM
shame on you! glad you have joined the fold now though. I adore sprouts; I think they are generally derided due to grandmothers overcooking them - ie putting them on to simmer in October for Christmas Dinner.
Posted by: Andrew | 03 December 2005 at 11:43 AM
Brussel sprouts rock!!
As a kid I used to hate them but I can't get enough of them now....yum
Posted by: Dave | 04 December 2005 at 12:31 AM
Now that you've hopped aboard the sprout train, be on the lookout for fresh itty-bitty-baby-Brussels. Sublime!
And pairing with Kerner? Great idea. Try Neuburger, too, to pick up that subtle nuttiness.
Posted by: Emily | 04 December 2005 at 10:01 AM
Jens - I still have nightmares from the liver I was served as a kid (I mostly remember the smell). I might be 43 before I'm able to try liver as an entree again.
Tasty-looking recipe Andrew. I'll have to give it a try during the current cold-snap
Dave - got an Aussie recipe for the sprouty little devils?
Neuburger, eh Emily? That's one of them there foreign grapes, which I still have yet to try. :) It's on the list!
Posted by: beau | 04 December 2005 at 01:55 PM
My favorite thing about Neuburger is the legend behind it, wherein it is fished out of the Danube around 1860 and planted in the Wachau region of Austria. It also goes by the name Gruner Burgunder, which, if you follow the way the other Austrian grape names translate (such as Grauburgunder and Blauburgunder), would then translate to "Pinot Green".
Posted by: Emily | 04 December 2005 at 04:45 PM
bacon makes anything better. even brussels sprouts. i still can't really get into them when they're "clean-cooked" i.e. steaming, boiling. i gotta have that blistered caramelization going on. roasting the sprouts whole in olive oil until they look almost burned is an unexpected treat. a good way to get the roughage.
Posted by: vanessa Chang | 04 December 2005 at 05:49 PM
I had brussel sprouts for the first time last night--they were small, parcooked and then sauteed with pancetta. Soooo good.
Posted by: Rachel De Nys | 04 December 2005 at 06:36 PM
Emily - Is Moses, err, Neuburger known outside of the Wachau/Austria?
I agree Vanessa - a little smoked fatty goodness goes a long way. I didn't want to go solo sprouts on my first Brussels experiment.
Rachel - anything else in addition to pancetta & sprouts in your concoction?
Posted by: beau | 05 December 2005 at 10:05 AM
I have not encountered Neuburger wines from anywhere else. Doesn't mean they're not doin' it, though. I can tell you that it's a crossing of Sylvaner and Roter Veltliner, which might be a clue in case someone is calling it something else somewhere else that I don't know about.
Posted by: Emily | 05 December 2005 at 11:00 AM