There are two reasons why you hate brussel sprouts:
You probably only remember them from when you were a kid. About 15 years ago a new, less bitter cultivar of brussel sprouts was developed, and is now the main the cultivar.
Your parents (or grandparents, or whoever did the cooking at Christmas) probably boiled or steamed them, which is a perfect way to make any vegetable taste bad.
Here’s what you actually do. Dice up a small amount of bacon and lightly fry in a tiny bit of oil, just until the bacon fat starts to render out. Add a nob of butter (altogether the amount of fat should nicely coat the bottom of the pan). Cut your sprouts in half and place them in the fat cut side down. DON’T TOUCH THEM. Let them sit until a nice brown crust forms. Then add a splash of water (or chicken stock if you’re a true degenerate) and cover for a few minutes to steam. When done, a knife should pierce them with some resistance (bite into one, it should have a little crunch to it, but not unpleasantly so; just enough to not be mushy). Drain off the liquid, hit them with kosher salt and a little bit of black pepper.
Note that the bacon is totally optional. If you’re just adding a quick veg to a meal you can skip that part and they’ll still taste great.
Everything in that image is a delight to the mouth when cooked well.
Brussels sprouts, you roast those little green balls and they turn into a slightly sweet, wonderfully deep and complex flavor bomb. Add a light drizzle of balsamic, your mouth and brain will orgasm.
Hell, you can roast any of them and end up with great taste, though the leafy ones can get over cooked really easy that way compared to a nice braise or saute.
I did some braised ones the other week on a whim (some stock, garlic, chili crisp and balsamic, browned them first in a bit of Bacon fat) and damn if it didn’t make me reconsider cooked sprouts, I thought I disliked them cooked based on memories being served them as a kid, but I guess I just never had them prepared. Helps that apparently they’ve been selectively bred to reduce bitterness since the 90s.
Honestly if you just bake them right they’re still chill. Fry them up in stir fry, steam them with the other veg, they’re just like broccoli misunderstood because people overcook them, or boil them. Always a bad idea
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