11.10.10

braised brussel sprouts with cream


hey brussel sprout haters, this one's for you.
i know that its going to be hard to convince you to try this. so i'll tell you, i used to be one of you.
my mom would make brussel sprouts for every holiday, and they would remain in their sad little bowl, untouched, other than the few she ate. ninety percent of them would go to the dogs during cleanup. even the dogs weren't fond of them.
but then my good friend erika changed my whole figurative vegetable world with one recipe: braised brussel sprouts with cream. sounds gross, is amazing in actuality (and SO easy).
i couldn't get my hands on erika's recipe so i just sort of figured it out through trial and error.

the first thing is, buy small sprouts. big sprouts are gross. they are bitter, which is probably why you hate them. small sprouts are less bitter, and cuter. a pound is a good amount.


here's what else you'll need
:


3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cream (heavy is best, but half and half is fine)
big skillet


then, five easy steps:


01. trim. cut the stem off and remove all nasty, dark, outer leaves. then slice the sprout from top to bottom.




02. butter the pan. three tablespoons unsalted butter, medium heat. add the salt.




03. throw the sprouts in. stir occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they turn a little brown. (this is important: this is what takes away the bitterness. brown is good.)




04. add cream. turn heat to low. stir in, cover, and let sit for 30-35 minutes. you may need to stir occasionally if you use half and half cream, because it bubbles.
(i have purposely omitted the image because you wouldn't like the way it looks. never judge a book by its cover... you'll see what i mean!)


05. serve immediately.


try it. i converted four sprout-haters this thanksgiving.


miammm