the best brussels sprouts

The Spotted Pig in the West Village can transform even brussels sprouts into something of an indulgence. My friend had ordered them along with some swiss chard because she needed something green against our backdrop of chicken liver on toast, gnudi in a butter sage sauce, creamy deviled eggs, and boozy prunes wrapped in bacon. And while the chard was salty, it served its function admirably, providing some vegetation that tasted lighter and cleaner than everything else at the table. But the brussels sprouts were something else altogether.

They looked innocuous enough, charred nearly black but unadorned in a simple bowl. But the outer leaves were a little crisp and nutty and rich enough that at one point I thought maybe they’d been finished with some Parmesan cheese. And the center was a sweet nugget with nothing cruciferous about it—it had more the molten texture of a roasted chestnut. Comfort food at its finest, yet seemingly still a vegetable.

I was flummoxed enough to inquire as to what was going on here—the first time I’ve ever asked a server how something is prepared. Usually I’m too shy or assume it’s too complex an issue to venture into. But she came back from the kitchen with the pleasingly simple response of:

1): Blanch them in highly seasoned water (stressing “highly”).
2): Pan-fry them in lots of butter (stressing “lots”).

So there it was. Not a secret at all, but rather, like everything else on their menu, an alchemy of salt and butter.

I don’t approve of recipes where vegetables are transformed with a lot of fat. Why would I want a cauliflower gratin when I can have macaroni and cheese if it’s virtually the same thing as far as nutritional components? But I was already hooked on these, and while the brussels sprouts were perhaps bathed in butter, they were still the mainstay of the dish, not hidden by 10 other ingredients. I’m a sucker for rustic simplicity (any dish with only three components), so I tried these at home.

I blanched (inserted in boiling water) them for a couple minutes in water with maybe three times the amount of salt I would use for pasta (you should use more), then pan-fried them in half a stick of butter, which was really much more butter than was needed for eight brussels sprouts. Most of it was left in the pan at the end, thankfully. The house smelled marvelous and my cat was beside himself as the butter turned nutty and golden-brown. I didn’t cook them long enough as I had to take them off the pan before the butter turned black, so didn’t get the same consistency. But the outer leaves tasted wonderful, and they were still pretty good.

My friend also ended up making these, and I think with better success. She blanched the sprouts in water seasoned with pepper and more salt than I had used for a longer period of time--about five minutes, before pan-frying them in butter on low heat, as if caramelizing onions, for at least 30 minutes. And she said they could have used 30 minutes more, perhaps. She used two sticks of butter for two pounds of brussels sprouts. They weren’t exactly the same as at the Spotted Pig’s, she said, but fantastic all the same. Even members of her family who didn’t like brussels sprouts really enjoyed them.

Comments

[r]

I roast them, to get the crunchy dark outer leaves, and the soft inside. Cut in half, dress with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400 for about a half an hour. Some grating cheese is good at the end too.

[Julie]

I do like them roasted, too. That's how they kind of became my vegetable of choice, although have yet to make them at home. Certainly healthier than with all the butter!

[durasoul]

Cook's Illustrated swears by the braising method, ideally in cream, if one can stand the calories (I can't). I either steam mine in the microwave or blanch them, then finish them off with a quick pan fry in a little sesame oil or butter, sel gris, and cracked pepper.

My fave beer pub serves them roasted, and they are AMAZING with a pint of Guinness.

[Julie]

You know, I was going to say something about how an Old Speckled Hen was so good with these....There must be something about creamy beers and brussel sprouts.