November 20th
2007
Little miniatures of their larger cabbage brothers, it's hard to not love these leafy green cuties - but not quite impossible. They were my childhood's nightmare, an acquired taste coming at costs I wasn't will to pay. With a great deal of persistence, my cunning mum wanted to coax me into liking them by sauteing them with breadcrumbs - a very legit attempt. Anything involving butter-browned breadcrumbs increases the odds tenfold, but I was a hard nut to crack. Somehow I only have bad memories attached to Brussels sprouts, the brash kitchen smell after cooking them, a nasty pot coaster showing cheesy 70s flowers, the usual and inevitable long discussion ("Pleeease, just try a single ONE!") at our kitchen table, they never had a real chance to make it on my shortlist.
Over the years I felt comforted by the thought, that I wasn't all by myself with this antipathy and never contemplated cutting it some slack. Then things started to change. What did I miss? All of a sudden I saw myself surrounded by Brussels sprouts loving people, a conspiracy? What was up with everybody!? I felt like on a culinary life raft far away from the shore. Luckily adulthood not only brings bills and a few more wrinkles but the ability to revisit a preconception and acknowledge an error. Was it an obvious sign, when I recently stumbled onto Petra's latest Brussels sprout recipe? I couldn't escape any longer.
My own version involves some fresh red chili, pine nuts and pancetta and turned out everything I had hoped for. Taking a big bite made my culinary senses jump from crunchy over nutty to spicy and back again. But because my greedy boyfriend (a Brussels sprouts lover since birth), literally breathing them in, didn't much care to leave enough to further foster this new and still fragile friendship - I simply had to cook this meal again the following day. Needless to say that when I told my mum on the phone about the 2nd time she was fully convinced I was pulling her leg. She left it at "I will have to see it with my own eyes", obviously she also has a hard time letting go bad veggie memories. Even if her memories are more related to the Brussels sprout-rebellious kid than to the green babies themselves.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (~390°F). Wash the Brussels sprouts, trim the stems and remove dowdy leaves. Cut in halves, then quarters, each time stem to top, so the quarters don't fall apart.
In a bowl carefully mix together the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper, the Dijon mustard and the finely chopped red chili until everything is well distributed and evenly coated. You could also add the pine nuts now, but in my second batch I browned them in a later step together with the bread crumbs, which I think is even tastier.
Transfer the Brussels sprouts into a baking dish and distribute the Pancetta - cut in small stripes - over it. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning them once or twice. (Take samples: when the edges start to turn brown to early and the Brussels sprouts are not done yet, you may cover the baking dish with aluminum foil) Meanwhile prepare the breadcrumbs. Heat the butter in a larger pan, add the slightly crushed pine nuts and the coarse breadcrumbs as soon as it starts to sizzle. Allow to gain a golden brown color, then remove from the stove and put aside for serving.
When done, remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven and sprinkle generously with the breadcrumbs/pine nuts mix and some Parmesan. Best eaten straight from the oven!
Oven baked Brussels sprouts
own creation, inspired by Petra's recipe
Prep time: 20min., baking: 20-25min.
.
Ingredients (serves 2-3 as a light lunch):
500g Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 smaller red chili, finely chopped
~5 thin slices of Pancetta
2 tbsp butter
25g pine nuts
50g coarse breadcrumbs (e.g. from stale baguette)
serve with some grated Parmesan or Pecorino
nice one - i just tested the inspiring version 3 days ago and was a lil dissappointed that the dijon doesn`t "pop" out that much. i`ll try your version in the next days! plus: i had to leave them in my oven for at least 35 minutes (-;
oh my - that looks marvelous
i'm a recent brussels sprouts convert too... love them with crispy sage and almonds but your pancetta and pinenut version sounds lovely... am now wishing they were still in season here in oz
You did it again and made me drool over my keyboard! I'm a brussels sprouts lover since birth (love the term!) and can never have enough good recipes. Yummy!
Ok, now you're officially a genius...you got me to drool over brussel sprouts....brussel sprouts!!! Chili and mustard!!
I think cutting them up makes them much more delicious, too, and they cook evenly that way.
Hi, sounds wonderful. I think I might try it on Georg (a Brussels sprouts spurner since birth). As he is a chili lover that might do the trick. Regards Erika
Hi,
quelle surprise, comes quite close to my version of Brussels sprouts, instead of pine nuts I use hazelnuts.
http://berlinkitchen.com/berlinkitchen/Food.html
Greetings from Berlin,
Martin
I've only recently found my love of Brussels Sprouts - they were not really a part of my diet growing up (my family is Chinese) but now I have them every other week. Sometimes just plain roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. - sometimes braised in hard cider with pancetta and almonds. (Pancetta makes EVERYTHING better). I can't wait to try these and will try to squeeze them into my in-law's Thanksgiving dinner. Cheers!!!
We eat Choux de bruxelles at home with chesnuts and sausages. Everybody loves it, even the kids!
I've seen oven-baked sprouts with pancetta before, but pine nuts never occired to me.
These look so good strewn across the plate.
Brilliant approach to the BS challenge!
Brussel sprouts were the nightmare vegetable of my childhood, I just recently started eating them again. I'm not fully convinced about their taste yet, but maybe after I tried your recipe?
Nicky, ich bin ja ganz baff! Dass ein von mir gekochtes Rezept dich mal zum Rosenkohlesser bekehren würde... ;-)
Aber ich muss sagen, deine Variante klingt ausgesprochen verlockend. Du weißt ja, auf Chilis springe ich immer gleich an und dazu dann noch Speck und Pinienkerne - wird natürlich ausprobiert!
As a child I too was a tortured brussel sprout eater. I am sure the fact that they were served whole and steamed did not help. When I was first going out with my fiancé he tricked me into trying them again... the french 'choux de bruxelles' sounded more appealing as was the way he presented the dish - chopping the sprouts up finely and then sautéing them in a skillet with a butter, garlic and a little curry powder! I can safely say I am now converted. Look forward to trying your recipe.
[...] Nicole Stich von delicious:days beschreibt immer wieder sehr leckere Rezepte. Diesmal erzählt sie uns, dass Rosenkohl der Alptraum ihrer Kindheit war. Und nun hat sie sich mal daran gewagt, ein Rezept nachzukochen und mit rotem Chili, Pinienkernen und Pancetta bzw Bauchspeck verfeinert. [...]
Hallo Nicky, ich hab noch eine kleine Verfeinerung fuer Dich: Le Gourmand.
Aber sonst liest sich Dein Rezept sehr lecker.
Servus,
GAP
Brussels sprouts are evil. The steamed variation was our dad's holiday favorite, but my brother and I hated it and still do!
Brussels sprouts are not my first, second, 101st choice... but I am always willing to try new things...
Funnily enough this is one vegetable I really like (even after 8 years of boarding school)! Will look forward to trying your recipe. I've been browsing your recipe section looking for inspiration - am the proud owner of a shiny new KitchenAid mixer and looking for an inaugural recipe! Thanks for a great site!
Sanja, And please let me know how it goes!
Hi Eri, if not, maybe some Ouzo would do the trick... ;)
Adrienne, "Pancetta makes everything better" - Hello soul mate...
Hi Richard, Yep the only BS I'm willing to take ;-)
Erika, YUM! Sounds both super simple and delicious, another Brussels sprout recipe for my to-try list, thanks.
Hallo GAP, werde ich ausprobieren, Merci!
These look delicious. Many brussel sprouts haters are there because the sprouts are overcooked. This recipe sounds terrific, and I can't wait to give it a try!
Da ich Vegetarierin bin, ist es manchmal schwer, Thanksgiving so viel wie meine alles fressende Familie zu geniessen. Deswegen hab ich zu Thanksgiving (komme aus Upstate New York) bei meiner italienischen Oma eine schoene Beilage mit gebratenem Rosenkohl zubereitet. Fuer diese fuegte ich auch Rosinen, Zwiebeln und eine Milchsauce hinzu. War echt lecker, und der Rest meiner Familie hat auch viel davon gegessen! Dazu genoss ich auch Frocia -- eine sizilianische Art Eierkuchen -- mit Broccoli, der Tradition auf unserem Tisch ist.
Brussel sprouts are at the top of my favourite food list. I love them covered with my homemade tomato sauce.
I was just salivating over the brussels sprouts recipe over at lucullian delights, but I'll have to try yours too . . . I can't resist anything with bread crumbs in it!
Ich LIEBE Rosenkohl. Und dieses Rezept hört sich wirklich verlockend an. Und es sieht auch noch toll aus! Rosenkohl wird nähmlich meiner Meinung nach zu oft zu unappetitlich angerichtet. Aber mit Hilfe dieses Gerichtes könnte man glaub ich auch einen anti-Rosenkohlesser bekehren ;)
That all sounds yummy! I'm on a Brussel Sprout kick myself, here's my Indian take on them.
I came here via blogher... how did I miss seeing this post?! I too am an adult convert to Brussels sprouts - in my case it was the addition of cider vinegar and sauteed onion and bacon that did the trick.
And this way with breadcrumbs is great too! We usually add bacon and garlic to ours. What a good idea to add pine nuts, mustard and chili!! (We just had brussels sprouts the other night... clearly, we need to have them again soon.)
-Elizabeth
Yeah, these are still my nightmare!
Your recipe sounds nice and recently I read realy interesting at Heidi from 101cookbooks so I promised my self I have to give at least one more chance to Brussels sprouts.
With your recipe it will be at least two more chances!
Sanja