Wine Club Newsletter - January 2011
Brussels Sprouts: A Primer for the Delicious
This month I wanted to pair a wine with The WineSellar Club white wine, the 2009 Gavi di Gavi, La Meirana, Broglia with a side dish I made with Brussels Sprouts. This pairing was stunning, and I wanted to share the recipe with our club members, along with extra tips regarding Brussels sprouts.
However there is a stigma surrounding Brussels Sprouts, as many times in our lives we have had them overcooked and prepared improperly, making us want to avoid the vegetable whenever possible.
I found as I started writing, there is a lot to tell, so instead of having a wine related story this month, I want to show you how to enjoy a food product we have typically not had in its most worthy state: And if it is prepared properly, it really sings with wine.
Gary Parker
Some of you may think I am crazy, but Brussell Sprouts can be a wonderful tasting vegetable, and provide excellent nutritional and even medicinal value. Also, when prepared properly, they are an excellent side dish to enjoy with either red or white wine, depending on your main course.
High Brussels sprouts season is December to June, and conveniently, last a long time in your refrigerator. So let’s talk about discovering the fabulous potential of the little wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea.
Proper Preparation
The main problem we have with Brussell Sprouts is preparing them properly, both from a trimming and cooking point of view. Without the proper handling, we have not been enjoying them at their best, and so this vegetable has not been correctly understood or appreciated by the general public.
First, their stalk is thick and dense, and will take longer to cook then the greener, leafy upper portion of the bulb. By the time you get the stalk tender and edible, the leafy potion becomes overcooked, and releases the glucosinolate sinigrin, which has a sulfurous odor and taste. This of course makes the dish a challenge to enjoy, as well as depletes its nutritional value.
So you need to separate or minimize the stalk from the greener upper portion of the bulb when you trim the sprout. I cut off about 30% or so of the bottom part of the whole bulb, leaving as little of the stem as possible, if any. This may seem a little wasteful, but it is essential to providing even cooking and the best taste. (I used to make two angular cuts forming a “V” cut out of the bulbs, but found this task taking up a lot of time when preparing for more than two people).
After cutting the bottom 30% or so off, stand up the sprout on it’s newly shaven bottom and cut down from the top of the bulb to the bottom at about 1/8 inch slices. It is important to cut them at this angle and thickness. If you cut the bulb while it is on its side, you will have greener cuts at the top and whiter, more stem like cuts from below. This will make for uneven cooking times and appearances as well, putting you back to square one of the cooking problems with Brussell Sprouts.
Also, if you make the slices larger than 1/8”, then it will take too long to cook the center of the cut, thus providing a need to overcook the outside to get the inside properly cooked. However, if you are roasting or micro-waving the sprouts, you can cut them in half after cutting of the bottom 30% of the bulb as aforementioned.
The three best ways to cook Brussell Sprouts are to sauté’ (or stir fry), microwave, or roast them in the oven. Never boil them, as they lose a lot of flavor, nutrients, and the anti-cancer producing compounds found in the sprout.
Nutritional / Medicinal Value
Brussels Sprouts contain high levels of sinigrin, which may help prevent bowel cancer.
Brussels sprouts, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of the anti-cancer compounds, steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying does not result in significant loss.
Brussels sprouts and other brassicas are also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.
Brussels sprouts are a cultivar of the same species that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi; they are cruciferous. They contain good amounts ofvitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber.
This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, and Carbohydrates. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
This is my favorite way to prepare the sprouts these days, simple, yet a real standout as a side dish. If you like, you can add other ingredients, such as roasted almonds and roasted peppers, or varied flavor themes by adding to the stock, items such as BBQ Sauce, Soy, hot peppers, curry. . .
Serves four side dishes, have with the 2009 Gavi di Gavi LA Meirana, Broglia.
Ingredients:
- 12 evenly sized Brussels Sprouts
- 1 Cup of Chicken stock
- Two pats of butter
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Pepper to taste, use it liberally
- Lemon to taste
- 1 Clove Garlic is optional
Method:
- Cut the bottom 30% of the bulb off, to eliminate as much of the stem as possible
- Stand up the sprouts on their newly shaven bottoms and cut down from the top of the bulb to the bottom, at about 1/8 inch slices. Set aside.
- In a medium size pan, add the chicken stock and reduce at high heat by 50%.
- Remove pan from heat for one minute to reduce temperature
- Then add the butter, (garlic added here if you choose to do that) and as the butter melts, add in the sprouts.
- Turn pan heat to medium; stir sprouts so they are coated with the liquid.
- Add salt, pepper and lemon and cook until tender, about 1-2 minutes. They will still be bright green when done.
Microwave Brussels Sprouts
This is an easy way to cook them, less time preparing and fewer steps for the method. The cool thing about microwaves is that it cooks from the center of the sprout, giving it a better chance to cook evenly, with out getting the sulfur tastes. Serves two.
Ingredients:
- 6 evenly sized Brussells Sprouts
- One pat of butter
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Pepper to taste, use it liberally
- Lemon to taste
- Teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Method:
- Cut the bottom 30% of the bulb off, to eliminate as much of the stem as possible
- Stand up the sprouts on their newly shaven bottoms and cut them in half, down from the top of the bulb to the bottom. Set aside.
- In a deep plate or shallow microwave safe bowl, anticipate how much water would be needed to barely cover the sprouts.
- Add butter to water, and heat for 90 seconds, or until butter begins to melt in the water.
- Add sprouts, salt, pepper, lemon and syrup or honey.
- Stir to cover all the sprouts with the liquid
- Should take about 5-6 minutes or so on high.
- Poke with knife or fork. When they are tender, they are done. They should still remain bright green.