November 1, 2011 TAKING IT SLOW NOVEMBER: Bravo Brussels Brassicas!
BY KATY DAVIDSON
This much maligned vegetable has been known to have school children cowering and dinner ladies smiling malevolently as they’re slopped out at lunchtime around the nation. The villain of school dinners historically it’s probably time someone stood up for Brassica oleracea.
To be precise, the Brussel Sprout is one member of the Brassica oleracea family belonging to the Gemmifera group. The Brassica genus is one of early humans most fundamental vegetable foodstuffs. They hold the reserves of summers nutrients in their leaves throughout the winter. and are a very high source of vitamin C. Somewhat of a superfood this redeeming character is a good enough reason to shout about the Brussels Sprout and convincing you that they can taste great will be an added bonus.
As well as vitamin C, they contain lots of vitamins A and D, folates and two phytochemicals, sinigrin and sulforaphane. Sinigrin suppresses the development of pre-cancerous cells while sulforaphane works by blocking cancer rather than suppressing it.
These wonderful gems of information on the health benefits of this and other fresh local foods seems to me to be an ever-increasing body of evidence that one of the most challenging illnesses of our time is much less likely to succeed if your diet is a healthy and balanced one. Food is the first step in medicating our bodies and making sure they have a healthy starting point.
Fondly known as "tree cabbages" the Brussels Sprout plant will yield plenty of firm little buttons throughout the season through November. Once the sprouts are harvested you can continue growing the plant to yield fresh leaves which are also edible. Tender and tasty these leaves are great steamed or used in soups. Finally the plants woody stalks are sometimes dried and made into walking sticks if they’ve managed to grow tall enough.
When I was a child my father used to grow Brussels in our garden and I adored the fact that the plants looked like something looming ominously from ‘The Lost World’ when everyone else’s gardens had mown grass and privet hedges.
The reason why most people are turned off of the Brussels Sprout is because of the British tendency to annihilate their fresh greens by boiling them to death. Cooking these brassicas too much not only releases the noxious sulphurous stench that has put generations off from eating them, but simply obliterates all but a trace of the vitamins and other nutrients which makes these little green nuggets so precious.
So, making sure you avoid the Brussels Sprout of school dinner legend means they are best steamed or lightly boiled. Taking you one step further back along the journey to your plate, it’s best to choose tightly packed crisp ‘buttons’ from the stalk rather than the ‘blown’ loose older buttons which will not taste as good.
As a youngster, I instinctively steered away from the overcooked variety (sorry mum) and as roasts were being prepared in our house I would be hovering by the worktop ensuring that my sprouts were kept out of the pot and dished up raw alongside the rest of my cooked dinner. I still cherish a nutty little bite-size Brussels al dente, from time to time.
One of the best ways I’ve found for cooking them, and one that I believe will convince even the most scarred from school dinner memories, is Brussels tossed in maple syrup with garlic-roasted cobnuts. With the smaller sprouts you can lightly steam and toss in whole but with larger ones its good to chop in half; this also allows the flavours to absorb into the sprout more.
Once steamed simply add to a pan of olive oil, garlic and the chopped nuts and toss for a few minutes and finish by drizzling the maple syrup over the top. A little sprinkling of some nice Cornish sea salt adds a lovely texture and finish. Go on give the tree cabbage another go!
Reader Comments (3)
What a great blog. This is my first time to the site and will return
Hi Katy - my preferred recipe for Brussel sprouts is to cut them in half, lightly steam, then stir-fry with onion, garlic and pancetta, until the leaves brown. I'm a London personal trainer and most of my clients look at me peculiarly when I suggest that they add sprouts to their diet. But prepared right, they're tasty and nutritious!
Hello Jason, I only just saw this comment! Love your recipe. You're right they are tasty and nutritious.
Got any more recipes? :)