When I was little, my mom only made one attempt to get me to eat brussel sprouts. I have no idea what she did to them but not only did they taste terrible, they smelled worse than anything . . . ever. Funny how you remember those traumatizing moments.
I can't think if anything I like less than brussel sprouts, so that's where I began in the cookbook -- the biggest challenge of all: make me like that small bitter vegetable and I'll forever be impressed.
Recipe: Brussel Sprout Leaves with Bacon, page 48. I figured that even if the vegetable portion was awful, at least there'd be bacon.
Along with the bacon and sprouts, the recipes includes a garlic vinaigrette dressing that immediately smelled delicious -- I was off to a good start. The recipe didn't call for using the entire sprout, but only the leaves; without the core. I followed the directions, but I'm not sure I "peeled" the leaves off correctly. That part was pretty labor-intensive, but not terrible.
Here's the thing -- it was so worth it! I couldn't believe it, but I LOVED this dish. I don't know if it was the combination of all the ingredients, or if using just the leaves changed the bitter taste, but it was so good that I plan on serving it at the next holiday dinner I cook. Yeah, really!
And just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed. . . I commented about my dislike for brussel sprouts on my Facebook page and a few people chimed in. Ginny told me I should steam them and then saute them in butter. Nancy and Laine seemed to agree, so I had to give it a try. And, believe it or not, they were really good! I steamed them until they were pretty tender and this seemed to take longer than I thought it would, but still not too long. Used lots of butter and voila - delicious.
I really can't believe I found two ways to enjoy something I disliked to the point of . . . well, it was bad. Thanks Ginny, Nancy, and Laine for the idea and encouragement.
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Paige,
ReplyDeleteI am one of the few people that actually like brussle sprouts , however, they have to be cooked right.
My mom makes a dish simular to the bacon one you posted and it gets requested often. I will get the recipe for you if you want! Can't wait to trry this!
Love to have the recipe, Astrid! Thanks.
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