Despite being depicted as the evil vegetable in media, brussels sprouts can be quite good. Problem is, you have to prepare them correctly. Boiling them to mush in plain water? That’s a bad idea for almost anything. Instead, I recommend roasting them. It won’t just make brussels sprouts edible, but actually good.
This recipe has you cutting them in half, then roasting in a pan on the stove top. This makes them very well-browned, which gives a lot of flavor. Depending on your pan, this may take more or less time. Something like a lightweight nonstick pan will take longer. Similarly, a heavy stainless steel pan will take less time.
You can also do this in the oven without the need for a lidded pan. However, it will take significantly longer. On the other hand, the oven will lower your chances of burning them, which is nice.
If oven-roasting, omit the water, reduce the salt by half, and cover them with the oil and salt before baking. Also be sure the cut sides are face-down on the pan.
If you like roasting foods, or healthy food in general, check out how I make crunchy oven-roasted chickpeas.
Ingredients
1/2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed*, 227 grams before trimming
1/2 tsp kosher salt, 3 grams
1 Tbsp vegetable oil, 14 grams
1/2 cup water, 113 grams
Preparation
Preheat a large pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the oil, then add the sprouts cut-side down.
Combine the water and salt, then add** to the pan. Cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Remove the lid and check for browning. If they’re well-browned, you’re done. If not, keep cooking uncovered until browned***.
Notes
* You’ll want to remove any outer leaves that are “loose”, or that come off easily. This can be a shockingly large amount, but you’ll want to remove them thoroughly.
If you don’t, a stray leaf may fall off and burn, which could perfume everything with an air of bitterness. After removing the leaves, remove the stems and cut the sprouts in half. If any of them are especially small, you can leave them whole; just be sure to cut off the stem.
** Since oil and water don’t mix, this can be a hazardous step. If your lid isn’t tight-fitting, I recommend letting the water go through whatever gap is between the lid and pan.
If, tragically, you only have proper-fitting lids, just do everything as fast as possible, and be mindful of steam. If this all sounds too “life or death game show” to you, I recommend oven-roasting them instead.
*** The more browning you get, the better. However, they can still be burned. The line between “maximum browning” and “burnt” is quite thin, so take care and check them often after uncovering.
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