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Secrets of Cooking Brussels Sprouts

The use of Brussels sprouts in cooking

Brussels sprouts are gourmet food. This vegetable is used in salads, first courses, side dishes, casseroles, can be pickled and frozen. There are more than 9,000 recipes for this type of cabbage in the world today. Here are just a few examples: baked in Dijon mustard, baked in balsamic sauce, with bacon, nuts, eggs, chestnuts, glazed cherries, sweet and sour dressing, cheese, grapes, pies and bread. It is served with fish, meat and poultry.

The smaller the Brussels sprouts are in diameter, the more tender and sweet they are (choose larger heads of cabbage if you want them to have a more cabbage-like flavor). Look for bright greens and whole, undamaged shoots without a lot of stubborn stains. The freshest shoots are green with a white base.

Agrotechnics - in the article Growing Brussels sprouts

How to cook Brussels sprouts

The peculiarity of Brussels sprouts is that they are difficult to cook. Leaving it on the stove for too long and it will become soft, too smelly and lose its bright green color - a sign that the heads of cabbage are overcooked, which makes them unappetizing. But when cooked properly, this vegetable will have a bright green color, a pleasant nutty-sweet taste, and a slightly crunchy texture.

Whether you are cooking fried, baked, grilled, or steamed Brussels sprouts, there are three important preparatory steps you need to follow correctly: washing, pruning, and slicing.

the washing up... Wash the Brussels sprouts with warm water under the tap or by immersing them in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Remember to use warm water as it removes dirt and chemicals better than cold water.

While the first method is faster, the second method cleans the heads better by removing dirt and chemicals from both the outside and inner folds of the leaves. Add baking soda to the water to clean the Brussels sprouts more thoroughly. Scientists have shown that baking soda helps remove pesticides better than just water. Studies have shown that baking soda can remove up to 96% of toxic pesticides that contaminate most plant foods, such as the fungicide thiabendazole and the insecticide fosmet. The researchers used a concentration of about 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of water, which is considered an effective ratio for gently scrubbing foods for 12-15 minutes.

The only downside to soaking is that Brussels sprouts can pick up water. If you are going to grill or fry it, let it dry thoroughly first.

Pruning... Using a ceramic knife, cut off some of the stiff leg, which will make the vegetable more tender. Remember not to remove too much, no more than 3-4 mm, or the leaves will fall apart during cooking. After that, remove any brown or yellow leaves as they are already wilted.

Then cut an X shape at the top of the heads if you cook them whole. This is because the outer leaves cook faster and will be soft and overcooked by the time the center is prepared. With this slot, the heads of cabbage will cook more evenly.

Slicing... When cutting into smaller pieces, try to keep them as uniform as possible so that they cook evenly. In general, Brussels sprouts with a diameter of more than 6 cm are recommended to be cut in half. If you have different sizes of heads, then the large ones should be cut into quarters, and the medium ones should be cut in half.

After the preparatory work is completed, you can cook Brussels sprouts according to any recipe you like. The sweet, delicate flavor of Brussels sprouts goes well with bacon, beef and just about any other meat, making this cabbage a good side dish. Each method of cooking this vegetable has its own advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that best suits your preferences.

Store Brussels sprouts in the refrigerator for at least several weeks. Do not wash cabbage before storing, just place it in the vegetable drawer and rinse it just before use. Stored Brussels sprouts will be most flavorful for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, but will remain fresh for cooking by cooking for up to several weeks. They will be stored in the freezer for several months.

Recipes with Brussels sprouts:

  • Meat balls with brussels sprouts
  • Festive bread with cherry tomatoes and brussels sprouts
  • Fried Brussels sprouts in soy-sesame marinade
  • Brussels sprouts casserole with chicken balls and lemon yogurt sauce
  • Brussels sprouts in nut oil
  • Light soup with Brussels sprouts, green beans and seafood
  • Thick soup with oatmeal and vegetables
  • Brussels sprouts salad with apples, hazelnuts and brown dressing
  • Boiled rice with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts
  • Carp with assorted vegetables with mint
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