With Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas behind us, this might be a good time to try your hand at Brussels sprouts, French style. This savory dish — in which sprouts are cut in half and sautéed with bacon, carrots, both or neither — bears no relation to the version you were served as a child. The garlic and herbs brighten the flavor and the sprouts retain flashes of beautiful green if they are cooked just enough, uncovered.
French-style Brussels sprouts / Brussels sprouts, French style
Brussels sprouts, which are an integral part of Christmas dinners in Britain and often featured on Thanksgiving tables in the United States, are perhaps one of the most controversial vegetables in the world. If overcooked they become grey, mushy and bitter. In years gone by they were served this way in many homes – including by my mother, an otherwise excellent cook – and in school canteens, as a British friend was quick to confirm.
“One of the worst memories of my childhood was being fed Brussels sprouts boiled to within an inch of their life,” he recalled. «They ruin my Christmas. Since then I can’t bear to eat a sprout.’ When I offered to make him the French version, he said he would happily eat the bacon, carrots and garlic, but would leave the sprouts behind. And yet, and yet…
Properly cooked Brussels sprouts are delicate, slightly sweet and tender. In this recipe they are first cut in half, exposing their beautiful yellow centers. The halves are boiled al dente, the main thing is not to cover the pot so that they remain bright green. The sprouts are then sautéed in olive oil with the addition of garlic, herbs of Provence and, if you prefer, lardons and/or carrot slices. In the final stage, a little water is added to braise the sprouts and blend the flavors.
Brussels sprouts, belonging to the cabbage family, are named after the Belgian capital because they began to be intensively cultivated there during the Renaissance. The vegetable gardens outside the city walls were used for growing cabbage, which requires a lot of space. As the population grew, farmers switched to sprouts, which grow vertically.
Nowadays the Belgians have been overtaken as producers of Brussels sprouts by the Dutch and even the English, perhaps due to the connection with Christmas. Brussels sprouts have pride of place on traditional British Christmas tables alongside dishes such as roast turkey, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, red cabbage and flaming plum pudding.
In the United States, if in addition to sprouts you wanted to add a French twist to your Thanksgiving, you could try the following recipes: roasted turkey, French style, sweet potato puree, herbed sweet potatoes, Georges Blanc pumpkin gratin, pumpkin puree with parmesan, French green beans and walnut tart. But you don’t need a vacation to enjoy French-style Brussels sprouts. They are good any time of year.
Good cooking.
