The perfect Brussels sprouts
Hello Foodies, This week is about cooking green using the methods of cookery “blanching” and “refreshing”. An easy way to parboiled your vegetables and to maximise the preservation of colours, nutrients and vitamins. “Far out, Brussel sprouts”, I know some of you hate them and others love them. I must say growing up I hated them. They were often insipid, bitter in fact disgusting. But I discovered whilst learning my trade that my past experiences with this vegetable was due to poor care in the cooking methodology. Therefore, I share with you a little tricks and tips of the trade to make the best Brussel sprouts and fall again with this vegetables low in calories and full of goodies. The Butter is just a supplement and can be avoided. As I often say “life taste better with butter”. David
Servings: 4 yield(s)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
  • 200 g Brussels sprout (20 pieces)
  • 20 g Butter
  • 5 ml Olive oil
  • 2 g Salt
Instructions
  1. Cut off the stem of the Brussels sprouts, remove the outer leaves and clean them.
  2. use a large sauce pot, fill up to 3/4 and add some salt to it. You should always taste the water to feel a bit of saltiness. this will prevent to add more salt later.
  3. Bring the water to boil. your water should have a big and strong bubble action.
  4. Add your Brussels sprout to the boiling water and cook for 4 min.
  5. Do not over crowd the sauce pan. if you are cooking a larger quantity, use a larger pot.
  6. Meanwhile prepare a bowl of iced cold water.
  7. After 4 min, check the cooking of your Brussels sprout with a small knife. it should feel a little resistant at first then go through smoothly.
  8. This what we call in the trade Blanching and refreshing. We basically cooked the vegetables to 90% . Then Refreshing, we transfer the vegetables to the cold water to stop the cooking process.
  9. Drain well the vegetables. you can even use some paper towel to dry it further. From here you can keep your vegetables in air tight container, in the fridge for at least 5 days. you can reheat them in the microwave and they are ready to go.
  10. However, i like mine to be a little bit caramelized. I cut them in halves for a quicker reheating process. So using a frying pan, add a bit of olive oil and butter. Bring the butter to a high heat and do not burn the butter. when the butter is foaming (i call it singing, as you hear it splash) add your Brushes sprouts to the hot pan and cook them on high heat for 1 minute on each side or until you see a bit of brown colour appearing. Season with a bit of crack pepper and enjoy them.
  11. Season with a bit of crack pepper and enjoy them. As a side dish and if you have other vegetables i will recommend 50 g per person or 5 Brussels sprout.
Recipe Notes

Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, when chlorophyll is cooked for too long it turns to a grey colour or even brown. To prevent this, add salt to your water when boiling your greens. The salt provides a "barrier" against discolouration, and keeps the chlorophyll green. Always bring the water to a boil before you add the vegetables. This will ensure the pores on the vegetables will be quickly blocked, and prevent vitamins and minerals from leaching out into the water. Cook the vegetables until they are tender. You do not want to overcook or undercook them. It is also important to stop the cooking process as soon as the vegetable is cooked perfectly. The best way to do this is to transfer your green in a bowl of very cold water and some ice. This will also fix the chlorophyll in the greens and keep their colour vibrant. Brussels sprouts are a source of the B-vitamins necessary for cellular energy production, including vitamin B6, thiamine, and folate. Brussels sprouts contain 24 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A, which is great for your eyes and organs. Brussels sprouts also contain manganese, which helps with the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and cholesterol. Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K, with a cup providing more than a day's requirement of these vitamins. Vitamin C is an important water-soluble vitamin that helps to repair tissues and boost immunity. Vitamin K is an important fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in bone formation and blood clotting.