The most polarising of vegetables

I’ve always loved brussels sprouts.  As a young child I would watch with fascination as my father pushed them endlessly around the plate, in the vain attempt to deceive my mother into thinking he had eaten them.  His visceral reaction was similar to that of my partner Al when I proposed to cook them a few years ago.  There was no discussion.  Then one fine winter’s day we visited Bistrode, a very fine restaurant in Surry Hills in Sydney.  Jeremy and Jane Strode had brussels sprouts on the menu – pan-fried in nut-brown butter with chestnuts.  For Al, it was the light on the road to Damascus.

Here’s my take on the Strode recipe, without chestnuts.  I love chestnuts, but I’m not going to stand around boiling them, peeling them and cutting myself in the process.  This is easier, and really, one can substitute any mealy nut for chestnuts.  This was my first home-made dinner in Washington DC, back in 2010. I purchased the sprouts at the Dupont Circle Sunday farmer’s market.

Ingredients:

1 punnet brussels sprouts (maybe 350g?)

50g unsalted butter

A touch of olive oil

50g  nuts – I suggest almonds, hazelnuts or macadamias, chopped roughly

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Trim the brussels sprouts of outer leaves, and cut in halves.  Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  Cast the sprouts in, bring back to the boil and cook for 4 minutes.  Drain immediately, pat dry with a paper towel.  Heat the butter on medium until it foams; add the oil, and wait until it starts to turn a little brown.  Add the spices to the pan, and throw the sprouts in immediately, face down, give a shake for them to absorb the spices and wait until they crisp up.  Shake the pan, throw the nuts in to warm, season well with salt and pepper, and serve.

This is actually a satisfying light meal in itself, and also a good side if you are serving meat or fish.  For those observing the laws of kashrut, margarine will not work for this. Just cook it as part of a milkhig or pareve dinner.  Good quality butter is a crucial flavouring ingredient.