"A Master Class in Brussels Sprouts"
Berkeley, California. October 2nd, 2009
As you know, I like changing people’s minds. It makes me fuzzy inside. Most people don’t like brussels sprouts. It’s the black sheep of vegetables… “eeew brussels sprouts,” is the default way to use it in a sentence. But they really are lovely little things, if you cook them to the edges of crispiness rather than the edges of mushiness. And they’re so fun to snap off of the tall green stalks that they grow on, the little nobs of goodness that they are.
So here, as homage to one of my readers out there, I offer a step-by-step lesson on how you too can love the brussels.
Trim them of their brown woody base… but leave enough so they stay together in one nob.
It’s okay if a few leaves come off…
You actually want them to… take a few more off while you’re at it, all of the nasty ones that aren’t pleasing to look at…
Til you have a pile of undesirable leaves… and a pile of desirable brussels sprouts.
Cut them in half…
And if they’re extra large, cut them in quarters. You want them all to be roughly the same size so they cook evenly…
Ah, look at those beauties.
Toss ‘em in a baking dish. Preheat your oven while you’re at it, to 400 degrees F.
Cut up a lemon…
Make sure you cut the pits out before you squeeze so you don’t have roasted pit for dinner…
…that would surely scare you away from brussels sprouts…
Squeeze the lemon all over and give them a good toss…
Garlic. The answer to all questions.
Take three lovely white cloves…
And chop them up… chop, chop, chop…
Then mince, mince, mince… and toss ‘em in your brussels sprouts…
A little salt…
A little olive oil…
A little peppa…
Toss, toss, toss… let ‘em sit for a bit and soak up the marinade.
Then place them in the oven and let them roast to their heart’s content…
And soon, my friends, you will have brussels sprouts, roasted to the edges of crispiness. And you too will be a convert.
Make them for Thanksgiving and convert others. Soon we shall have a brussels sprout revolution!
“Crispy Brussels Sprouts”
4 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and cleaned
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Salt n’ Peppa
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss all of these lovely things together in a baking dish and cook for approximately 40 minutes, until outer leaves are crispy and insides are fork tender.
3. Become a b-sprout missionary.
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